Hyperion • Inclusion Search Engine • Lotus Gemology
This fingerprint in a heat-treated ruby from the Thai/Cambodian border displays the underlying atomic symmetry by the pattern of healing. The healed areas are hexagonal in shape, showing that the fingerprint lies in the basal plane.
Melted crystal and heat-altered fingerprints within a ruby from the Thai/Cambodian border.
Frozen gas bubbles inside melted crystals within a ruby from the Thai/Cambodian border.
Mozambique rubies contain mixed silk, where part is rutile and part is another mineral. When heated, the non-rutile portion may show breakdown in the form of mottling or bubbles, as seen here.
This Mozambique ruby was heated after it was cut and not repolished, leaving evidence of the treatment on is surfaces.
After this ruby grew, it was exposed to high pressure, causing certain planes of atoms to glide into a twinned position. This secondary “polysynthetic” twinning takes place along the rhombohedron faces and is common in many corundums. Twin planes cross at 86.1 and 93.9° angles.
After this ruby grew, it was exposed to high pressure, causing certain planes of atoms to glide into a twinned position. This secondary “polysynthetic” twinning takes place along the rhombohedron faces and is common in many corundums. Twin planes cross at 86.1 and 93.9° angles.
After this ruby grew, it was exposed to high pressure, causing certain planes of atoms to glide into a twinned position. This secondary “polysynthetic” twinning takes place along the rhombohedron faces and is common in many corundums. Twin planes cross at 86.1 and 93.9° angles.
A solidified droplet of glass was found on the surface of this Mozambique ruby, thus suggesting it had been subjected to artificial heat treatment.
Mozambique rubies contain mixed silk, where part is rutile and part is another mineral. When heated, the non-rutile portion may show breakdown in the form of mottling or bubbles, as seen here.
Unusual clouds in a heat-treated ruby said to be from Madagascar. The bluish color is created by Tyndall scattering, light scattering from particles in a fine suspension. Tyndall scattering is also responsible for the blue irises of the human eye and the blue color of opalescent glass.
Some inclusions in Mozambique rubies are thermally sensitive. Here we find small crystals that have melted. The melted crystal (glass) occupies less volume than the original crystal, resulting in a frozen contraction bubble. A small fingerprint surrounds each melted crystal.
Note: Lotus Gemology Co. Ltd. makes these images available to the public for educational purposes only. Each image is copyright Lotus Gemology and/or the photographer and reproduction without the express written permission of Lotus Gemology is strictly prohibited. This includes posting to social media or websites. If you would like to reuse an image, contact us.