Thai Ruby Inclusions
Explore Thai ruby inclusions in Hyperion, the Lotus Gemology inclusion database. Hyperion contains photomicrographs of inclusions and internal features in natural rubies from Thailand, documented with information on treatment, lighting conditions, field of view, photographer and published references.
This small melted crystal surrounded by an iridescent heat-altered fingerprint is a typical inclusion in Thai/Cambodian ruby.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Dark Field + Diffuse Fiber Optic
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-002-6261-1
Thin films such as these are a distinctive feature of Thai/Cambodian ruby.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Dark Field + Diffuse Fiber Optic
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-002-4601-1
Thin films shine when illuminated with oblique fiber optic light in this Thai/Cambodian ruby.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Diffuse Oblique
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-7454-4
These thin films on the basal plane indicate the origin of this Thai/Cambodian ruby.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Diffuse Oblique
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-7416-1
Hughes, R.W. (1997) Ruby & Sapphire. Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512 pp.; RWHL*.
A melted crystal shines in a heated Thai/Cambodian ruby. These crystals begin life as solids, but are turned into glass by heat treatment. Because glass takes up less volume than a crystal, a frozen shrinkage bubble is often found in the glass. Note also the iridescence from the surrounding fingerprint, in shades of red and blue. This is because these are the two colors transmitted by ruby.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Dark Field + Diffuse Fiber Optic
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-9448-1
Hughes, R.W. (1997) Ruby & Sapphire. Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512 pp.; RWHL*.
These thin films on the basal plane indicate the origin of this Thai/Cambodian ruby.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Diffuse Overhead
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-7416-3
Hughes, R.W. (1997) Ruby & Sapphire. Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512 pp.; RWHL*.
A heat-altered crystal with an iridescent decrepitation halo, alongside a surface cavity filled with glass.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-4547-3
Hughes, R.W. (1997) Ruby & Sapphire. Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512 pp.; RWHL*.
Patches of glass on the surface of a heat-treated ruby from the Thai/Cambodian border region.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Diffuse Overhead
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-4547-2
Hughes, R.W. (1997) Ruby & Sapphire. Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512 pp.; RWHL*.
Heat-altered crystals with decrepitation halos in the basal plane.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Overhead
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-4547-1
Hughes, R.W. (1997) Ruby & Sapphire. Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512 pp.; RWHL*.
Iridescent fingerprint in a heat-treated ruby from the Thai-Cambodian border region. Note that the iridescence is mostly blue and red, because ruby absorbs the other colors of the spectrum.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-4736-1
Hughes, R.W. (1997) Ruby & Sapphire. Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512 pp.; RWHL*.
A lovely thin film inclusion is seen in reflected light within this untreated ruby from the Thai/Cambodian border mines. The hexagonal healing pattern betrays the fact that this inclusion lies in the plane of the basal pinacoid.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
None Detected (None) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
John I. Koivula •
Image Number:
R-001-3864-1
Hughes, R.W. (1997) Ruby & Sapphire. Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512 pp.; RWHL*.
Thin film inclusions in the basal plane of a Thai/Cambodian ruby.
Natural Ruby •
Thailand/Cambodia •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Diffuse Oblique
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-3076-7
Hughes, R.W. (1997) Ruby & Sapphire. Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512 pp.; RWHL*.
Thai ruby inclusions may include mineral crystals, healed fissures, fluid inclusions, negative crystals, growth features and other internal features formed during or after crystal growth. Such features are important to gemologists because they can provide evidence useful in identifying ruby and evaluating a possible Thai origin.
Thai Ruby Inclusion Photomicrographs
The Hyperion Thai ruby gallery includes microscopic features documented in rubies from Thailand and the Thailand–Cambodia border region. Each entry is accompanied by descriptive information and, where available, references to the gemological literature.
What Inclusions Can Reveal About Thai Ruby
Inclusions are an important part of geographic origin determination in ruby. Their form, composition, orientation and associations can provide evidence that, when considered together with other gemological properties, may support or contradict a Thai origin.
Hyperion combines inclusion photomicrography with supporting gemological information so that individual features can be compared with documented examples from Thai rubies.
About Hyperion
Hyperion is the Lotus Gemology searchable inclusion database. It allows users to browse gemstone inclusions by gem type, geographic origin, treatment and keyword.
