This course gives an introduction to the use of Polarised light microscopy (PLM) for the identification of historical pigments in conservation and conservation science. Despite the advent of newer methods, PLM has maintained a key place in this field as a routine and cost-effective approach to the determination of materials to be found on painted artefacts. Covering everything from choice and use of microscopes, optical features of historical pigments, to other types of analysis that complement PLM, the course will emphasise the application of PLM to real-world problems, including hands-on practice and case studies illustrating the use of the technique.