Birefringent crystals light up between crossed polars in this Ceylon sapphire.
Natural Sapphire • Sri Lanka (Ceylon) • Enhancements: None Detected (None) • Lighting Conditions: Diffuse Light Field + Crossed PolarsPhotographer: E. Billie Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1164-2 • Date Posted: 01 June 2015
Switzerland, Opinio Publishers, 672 pp.; RWHL*.
Natural Sapphire • Sri Lanka (Ceylon) • Enhancements: None Detected (None) • Lighting Conditions: Diffuse Light Field + Crossed PolarsPhotographer: E. Billie Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1164-1 • Date Posted: 01 June 2015
Low iron rubies (and pink and padparadscha sapphires) from localities like Mogok, Mong Hsu (Myanmar) and Sri Lanka will often display chalky zones in shortwave ultraviolet. Here we see an excellent example in a heat-treated padparadscha sapphire from Sri Lanka. This fluorescence is positive proof of heat treatment.
Natural Padparadscha Sapphire • Sri Lanka (Ceylon) • Enhancements: Heat (H) • Lighting Conditions: Ultraviolet: ShortwavePhotographer: E. Billie Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1161-1 • Date Posted: 01 June 2015
Hughes, R.W. and Emmett, J.L. (2005) Heat Seeker: UV fluorescence as a gemological tool. The Guide, Vol. 24, No. 5, Part 1, Sept.–Oct., pp. 1, 4–7; RWHL*.
Angular growth zoning is often seen in rubies from Montepuez, Mozambique.
Natural Ruby • Mozambique • Enhancements: None Detected (None) • Lighting Conditions: Diffuse Light Field (Transmitted Light)Photographer: Richard W. Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1144-1 • Date Posted: 28 May 2015
Pardieu, V., Sangsawong, S. et al. (2013) Rubies from the Montepuez area (Mozambique). Gemological Institute of America, October 5, 84 pp.; RWHL*.
An explosion of rutile silk and attached daughter crystals enliven the interior of this sapphire from Serendib.
Natural Sapphire • Sri Lanka (Ceylon) • Enhancements: None Detected (None) • Lighting Conditions: Fiber Optic: Diffuse OverheadPhotographer: Richard W. Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1119-1 • Date Posted: 25 May 2015
Tschermak, G. (1878) Optisches Verhalten von Korund-Krystallen [Optical behavior of corundum crystals]. Mineralogische und Petrographische Mittheilungen, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 362–364; RWHL*.
Koivula, J.I. and Hughes, R.W. (2005) Following the Silk Road: Rutile in corundum. Bangkok, Lotusgemology.com, RWHL*.
Hughes, R.W. (1997) Ruby & Sapphire. Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512 pp.; RWHL*.
Rutile silk exsolved in three directions in the basal plane, creating a six-rayed star effect.
Natural Star Ruby • Sri Lanka (Ceylon) • Enhancements: None Detected (None) • Lighting Conditions: Fiber Optic: OverheadPhotographer: Richard W. Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1079-1 • Date Posted: 25 May 2015
A flux-healed fingerprint in a Mong Hsu ruby from Myanmar.
Natural Ruby • Myanmar (Burma); Mong Hsu • Enhancements: Heat + Fissure Healing (H-FH) • Lighting Conditions: Fiber Optic: ObliquePhotographer: Richard W. Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1029-1 • Date Posted: 18 May 2015
Hughes, R.W. and Emmett, J.L. (2004) Fluxed up: The fracture healing of ruby. The Guide, Vol. 23, Issue 5, Part 1, Sept.–Oct., pp. 1, 4–9; RWHL*.
Hughes, R.W. and Galibert, O. (1998) Foreign affairs: Fracture healing/filling of Möng Hsu ruby. Australian Gemmologist, Vol. 20, No. 2, April–June, pp. 70–74; RWHL*.
Hänni, H.A. (2001) Ruby heat treatment and fracture repair. Jewellery News Asia, No. 207, pp. 75–76; RWHL.
Low iron rubies (and pink and padparadscha sapphires) from localities like Mogok, Mong Hsu (Myanmar) and Sri Lanka will often display chalky zones in shortwave ultraviolet. Here we see an excellent example in a heat-treated ruby from Mong Hsu. This fluorescence is positive proof of heat treatment.
Natural Ruby • Myanmar (Burma); Mong Hsu • Enhancements: Heat + Fissure Healing (H-FH) • Lighting Conditions: Ultraviolet: ShortwavePhotographer: Richard W. Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1056-1 • Date Posted: 20 May 2015
A brilliantly iridescent fingerprint in a sapphire from Sri Lanka. Such healing patterns reveal the underlying atomic symmetry. In this case, the rectangular healing pattern shows that this fingerprint lies parallel to a prism face.
Natural Sapphire • Sri Lanka (Ceylon) • Enhancements: Fissure Filling with colorless Oil/resin (FF-O1) • Lighting Conditions: Fiber Optic: ObliquePhotographer: Richard W. Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1061-1 • Date Posted: 20 May 2015
Roedder, E. (1962) Ancient fluids in crystals. Scientific American, Vol. 207, pp. 38–47; RWHL*.
Eppler, W.F. (1959) The origin of healing fissures in gemstones. Journal of Gemmology, Vol. 7, No. 2, April, pp. 40–66; RWHL*.
When a rutile-silk containing sapphire (such as this stone from Nigeria) is heated, the titanium from the rutile moves into solid solution in the sapphire, coloring the area around the rutile blue, creating a distinctive “ink spot” internal diffusion pattern.
Natural Sapphire • Thailand (Siam); Bo Ploi • Enhancements: Heat (H) • Lighting Conditions: Diffuse Light Field (Transmitted Light)Photographer: Richard W. Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1022-1 • Date Posted: 18 May 2015
Koivula, J.I. (1987) Internal diffusion. Journal of Gemmology, Vol. 20, No. 7/8, pp. 474–477; RWHL*.
An iridescent secondary fingerprint inclusion in a pink sapphire from Sri Lanka. The healing pattern reveals the underlying atomic symmetry. In this case, the rectangular healing structure show that the fingerprint lies in the plane of the hexagonal prism (parallel to the c axis).
Natural Sapphire • Sri Lanka (Ceylon) • Enhancements: None Detected (None) • Lighting Conditions: Fiber Optic: ObliquePhotographer: Richard W. Hughes • Image Number: A-001-1018-1 • Date Posted: 18 May 2015
A solidified droplet of glass was found on the surface of this Mozambique ruby, thus suggesting it had been subjected to artificial heat treatment.
Natural Ruby • Mozambique • Enhancements: Heat (H) • Lighting Conditions: Fiber Optic: Diffuse OverheadPhotographer: Richard W. Hughes • Image Number: A-001-0953-1 • Date Posted: 06 May 2015
Pardieu, V., Saeseaw, S. et al. (2015) "Low temperature" heat treatment of Mozambique ruby: Results report. Gemological Institute of America, 16 April, 34 pp.; RWHL*.