Ceylon Sapphire Inclusions
Explore Ceylon sapphire inclusions in Hyperion, the Lotus Gemology inclusion database. Hyperion contains photomicrographs of inclusions and internal features in natural sapphires from Sri Lanka (Ceylon), documented with information on treatment, lighting conditions, field of view, photographer and published references.
Heat-altered fingerprint in a Sri Lanka blue sapphire. Heating causes tiny microfractures as the negative crystals burst.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Transmitted
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-2135-1
Small heat-altered feathers just beneath the surface of a heat-treated Sri Lanka sapphire.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Transmitted
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-2132-1
Yellow color zones in a heat-treated blue sapphire from Sri Lanka fluoresce red when illuminated with a fiber-optic light source.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-2059-1
Iridescent fingerprint in an untreated Sri Lankan color-change sapphire.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
None Detected (None) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
Richard W. Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-1962-1
Roedder, E. (1962) Ancient fluids in crystals. Scientific American, Vol. 207, pp. 38–47; RWHL*.
A classic example of a heat-altered fingerprint. One can clearly see that each of the negative crystal channels has burst from the heat treatment.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-1910-2
A classic example of a heat-altered fingerprint. One can clearly see that each of the negative crystal channels has burst from the heat treatment.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Transmitted
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-1910-1
Broken hearted. A melted crystal and melted fingerprint decorate the interior of this heat-treated sapphire from Serendib.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-1892-1
This string of discoids demonstrate that this Sri Lankan sapphire has been subjected to heat treatment.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-1884-1
Heat treatment has altered these included crystals into white “snowballs.”
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-1887-1
A heat-induced discoid in a heat-treated sapphire from Serendib.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-1889-2
A heat-induced discoid in a heat-treated sapphire from Serendib.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Transmitted
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-1889-1
Indicted and convicted. This melted crystal, fingerprint, and string of melted crystals are positive proof of heat treatment.
Natural Sapphire •
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) •
Enhancements:
Heat (H) •
Lighting Conditions:
Fiber Optic: Oblique
Photographer:
E. Billie Hughes •
Image Number:
A-001-1891-1
Search the Complete Hyperion Database
Ceylon 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 Sri Lankan origin.
Ceylon Sapphire Inclusion Photomicrographs
The Hyperion Ceylon sapphire gallery includes microscopic features documented in sapphires from Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Each entry is accompanied by descriptive information and, where available, references to the gemological literature.
What Inclusions Can Reveal About Ceylon 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 Sri Lankan origin.
Hyperion combines inclusion photomicrography with supporting gemological information so that individual features can be compared with documented examples from Ceylon 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.
