A combination of dark field and overhead lighting was used to photograph this scene in a violet sapphire from Sri Lanka, which shows two large mica plates and smaller rounded zircon crystals. The undamaged state of the mica reveals that this sapphire has not been subjected to heat treatment.
Natural Sapphire • Sri Lanka (Ceylon) • Enhancements: None Detected (None) • Lighting Conditions: Dark Field + Overhead Fiber Optic
Photographer: Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number: A-002-8706-1 • Date Posted: 03 April 2018
Koivula, J.I. (2007) Photographing gems. In Focus, No. 7, September, pp. 24–59; RWHL**.
Hughes, R.W., Manorotkul, W. et al. (2017) Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide. Bangkok, Lotus Publishing, 816 pp.; RWHL*.