Madagascar Sapphire Inclusions

First Published: 7 September 2026

Madagascar Sapphire Inclusions

Explore Madagascar sapphire inclusions in Hyperion, the Lotus Gemology inclusion database. Hyperion contains photomicrographs of inclusions and internal features in natural sapphires from Madagascar, documented with information on treatment, lighting conditions, field of view, photographer and published references.

The mottled appearance of these platelets suggests that their sapphire host was heat treated.
A pair of yellow monazite crystals is suspended in this pink sapphire from Madagascar. These types of crystals can turn colorless when heated, providing evidence that this sample is untreated.
Confetti-like platelets and fine, unbroken needles can be viewed in this untreated sapphire.
This untreated sapphire contains a cluster of small, transparent crystals appears to float amidst a cloud of fine silk needles.
In the “We thought we had seen it all” department, this unusual inclusion was found on the polished girdle of an untreated Madagascar sapphire. We believe it to be made up of growth marks on the surface of the original sapphire crystal.
Some Madagascar sapphires, like this one, display a distinctive “pick up sticks” type silk where the silk is not oriented in the basal plane.
When examining this pink sapphire from Madagascar we spotted this interesting white crystal cut through on the surface. Micro Raman spectroscopy identified the crystal as andalusite.
This untreated pink sapphire from the Ilakaka area of Madagascar was part of a large parcel purchased from a miner by the author in 2005. It contains rounded zircon crystals, and blocky crystals, some with fringes. The crystal in the center was identified as muscovite mica by micro Raman.
This untreated pink sapphire from the Ilakaka area of Madagascar was part of a large parcel purchased from a miner by the author in 2005. It contains zoned clouds of fine rutile dust, rounded zircon crystals, and in the center, an irregular rounded crystal that was identified by micro Raman as anorthite, one of the end members of the plagioclase feldspar series.
A superficial chalky patch is visible when this sapphire is viewed under shortwave UV illumination. While a chalky shortwave UV fluorescence is generally a strong indicator of heat treatment, on occasion we have seen these superficial patches in stones we believe to be untreated.
This hexagonal crystal with a metallic luster stood out in its sapphire host. Micro Raman analysis confirmed its identity as graphite.
This blocky white crystal was found breaking the surface in a pink sapphire from Madagascar’s Ilakaka region collected at the mines by Lotus Gemology’s Richard Hughes in 2005. Using our micro Raman unit to analyze it, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that it was andalusite. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time andalusite has been discovered as an inclusion in corundum. Overhead lighting clearly shows the lower luster of the andalusite compared to the surrounding sapphire. This is because andalusite has an RI of 1.63, while corundum is 1.76.

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Madagascar 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 Madagascar origin.

Madagascar Sapphire Inclusion Photomicrographs

The Hyperion Madagascar sapphire gallery includes microscopic features documented in sapphires from Madagascar. Each entry is accompanied by descriptive information and, where available, references to the gemological literature.

What Inclusions Can Reveal About Madagascar 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 Madagascar origin.

Hyperion combines inclusion photomicrography with supporting gemological information so that individual features can be compared with documented examples from Madagascar 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.