Vietnamese Sapphire Inclusions
Explore Vietnamese sapphire inclusions in Hyperion, the Lotus Gemology inclusion database. Hyperion contains photomicrographs of inclusions and internal features in natural sapphires from Sri Lanka (Vietnamese), documented with information on treatment, lighting conditions, field of view, photographer and published references.
This heated pink sapphire displayed a bold chalky angular zoning pattern interspersed with its strong red fluorescence when observed in shortwave illumination.
Natural Sapphire •
Vietnam •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Ultraviolet: Shortwave
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-004-0011-1
Polysynthetic twinning in this pink sapphire from Vietnam creates an explosion of color when viewed between crossed polars.
Natural Sapphire •
Vietnam •
Enhancements:
None Detected (None) •
Lighting Conditions:
Diffuse Light Field + Crossed Polars
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-5699-1
Coarse negative crystals with accretion halos surrounded by fingerprints in a hot pink sapphire from Vietnam’s Luc Yen mines.
Natural Sapphire •
Vietnam •
Enhancements:
None Detected (None) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-3096-3
Coarse negative crystals with accretion halos surrounded by fingerprints in a hot pink sapphire from Vietnam’s Luc Yen mines.
Natural Sapphire •
Vietnam •
Enhancements:
None Detected (None) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-3096-1
This hot pink sapphire from Vietnam’s Luc Yen district contained small birefringent crystals with tiny embedded green crystal inclusions.
Natural Sapphire •
Vietnam •
Enhancements:
None Detected (None) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-3095-2
This hot pink sapphire from Vietnam’s Luc Yen district contained small birefringent crystals with tiny embedded green crystal inclusions.
Natural Sapphire •
Vietnam •
Enhancements:
None Detected (None) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-3095-1
Rounded crystal of what is probably apatite rised above a fissure in this ruby from Vietnam’s Luc Yen region.
Natural Sapphire •
Vietnam •
Enhancements:
None Detected (None) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
Wimon Manorotkul •
Image Number:
R-001-2632-1
Vietnamese sapphire inclusions may include mineral crystals, rutile silk, 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 sapphire and evaluating a possible Vietnamese origin.
Vietnamese Sapphire Inclusion Photomicrographs
The Hyperion Vietnamese sapphire gallery includes microscopic features documented in sapphires from Vietnam. Each entry is accompanied by descriptive information and, where available, references to the gemological literature.
What Inclusions Can Reveal About Vietnamese Sapphire
Inclusions are an important part of geographic origin determination in sapphire. Their form, composition, orientation and associations can provide evidence that, when considered together with other gemological properties, may support or contradict a Vietnamese origin.
Hyperion combines inclusion photomicrography with supporting gemological information so that individual features can be compared with documented examples from Vietnamese sapphires.
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.
