Therefore, it is quite easy to determine that the unknown sample is, in fact, axinite when examining the Raman spectra collected against that from a known database. The two sets of data overlaying each other show to be very similar - the collected data in green and RRUFF database data in red - supporting the idea that it is axinite being tested. While it is true that there are a number of variations between the two sets of data, these can easily be explained. First and foremost, the database spectra is a very pure sample of ferroaxinite. This means that the composition of the variable ion is entirely iron (Fe2+). The unknown sample, on the other hand, is likely somewhere between a ferroaxinite and a tinzenite {CaFe2+Mn2+Al2BOSi4O15(OH)}, containing both iron and manganese ions, and only one calcium ion. This slightly different makeup can have impacts on the Raman spectra of the substance as the photons of the laser will interact differently based on the composition of the sample. Additionally, it is often prudent to remove background data, caused by spontaneous Raman scattering (caused by the vast majority of photon interactions and producing elastic Rayleigh scattering), and to normalize the data sets against each other to obtain more comparable and understandable data.