gems, corundum, inclusions.5

Until recently, film was the preferred medium used for capturing images through the microscope, pri-marily due to resolution limitations of digital-format cameras. The image quality that can now be achieved by digital cameras is equal, and in many ways superior, to the quality offered by film. Digital photomicrography allows gemologists the opportunity to instantly see the resultant images, which can then be adjusted with image-refining software so that they represent their subject as realistically as pos-sible. This article offers examples of some basic techniques and tips on the application of digital pro-cessing to get the most out of photomicrographs.