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During flux healing, as the process continues, contraction bubbles form and then become larger as the void becomes more spherical. The degree of healing in flux-healed Mong Hsu rubies is so great that the flux remnants are often quite rounded, complete with contraction bubbles. Imagine a synthetic corundum crystal that has a long, thin hot-dog shaped gas bubble in it. If we heat that crystal to a high temperature, the hot dog will break up into a row of spherical bubbles, a process known as “necking down.” This image vividly illustrates the necking down of a void in a flux-healed Mong Hsu ruby.
A crystal (probably a carbonate), along with fingerprints and polysynthetic twinning in Jegdalek ruby
A synthetic yellow sapphire displays strong chalky green fluorescence in shortwave illumination, helping to separate it from natural sapphire.
Verneuil synthetic color change sapphire showing curved chalky fluorescent growth structure in a powerful shortwave ultraviolet light.
This calcite crystal inside a Burmese ruby shows polysynthetic twin planes.
Polysynthetic twinning in a yellow sapphire creates a fanciful pattern due to the round shape of the gem.
A transparent crystal glows with a clear polysynthetic twinning pattern inside its spinel host.
At first glance, this piece of “rough” sapphire looks convincingly natural with abrasions and fissures on the surface. But once it’s immersed in methylene iodide, curved striae become obvious and reveal that the stone is a Verneuil synthetic.
Curved striae reveal the true nature of this Verneuil flame fusion synthetic ruby.
Upon perfunctory observation, the healed fissures suggest that this ruby is heated, but closer observation reveals curved striae, proving that the stone is a quench crackled synthetic ruby.
Polysynthetic twinning and angular growth zoning form a “plaid” pattern when viewed under crossed polars in this sapphire from Batakundi, Pakistan.
Polysynthetic twinning creates this striking striped pattern when viewed in crossed polars in this ruby from Malawi.
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