Natural Ruby Inclusions

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

When a Mozambique ruby is heated, the silk may start to break down, resulting if mottling or bubbles appearing in the daughter minerals, as seen here.
When a Mozambique ruby is heated, the silk may start to break down, resulting if mottling or bubbles appearing in the daughter minerals, as seen here.
Shallow feathers such as these are produced by heat treatment, where the orange stains found in untreated gems are removed and the fissures begin to heal.
Melted crystals with frozen gas bubbles, along with titanium internal diffusion (blue areas).
Surface conformal yellow color rim resulting from beryllium lattice diffusion. Also melted crystals, with titanium internal diffusion (blue areas).
A fingerprint within a rare untreated ruby from Mong Hsu, Myanmar. Most Mong Hsu rubies are heat treated, often with flux, and the individual negative crystals within the fingerprint become more rounded.
Heat-altered feathers just below the surface of this Mozambique ruby. In unheated rubies from Mozambique, these shallow fissures generally contain yellow-to-orange iron oxide stains.
Rutile silk in Mozambique ruby showing a breakdown of the daughter crystals due to heat treatment.
Rutile silk in Mozambique ruby showing a breakdown of the daughter crystals due to heat treatment.
Rutile silk in a heated Mozambique ruby showing obvious signs of breakdown, with small bubbles appearing in the daughter crystals.
Stepped growth on the surface of a natural ruby crystal from Mogok, Burma.
A thin film inclusion parallel to the basal pinacoid in a heated Thai/Cambodian ruby.

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Natural ruby inclusions may include mineral crystals, rutile silk, healed fissures, fluid inclusions, negative crystals, color zoning and other features formed during or after crystal growth. Such features are important to gemologists because they can provide evidence useful in identifying ruby, understanding its geological history, recognizing treatment and, in some cases, determining geographic origin.

Natural Ruby Inclusion Photomicrographs

The Hyperion natural ruby gallery includes microscopic features found in rubies from major deposits around the world. Each entry is accompanied by descriptive information and, where available, references to the gemological literature.

What Inclusions Can Reveal About Natural Ruby

Inclusions are an important part of ruby identification. Their form, composition, orientation and alteration can help gemologists distinguish natural ruby from synthetic material, recognize evidence of heat treatment, and study the geological environment in which the ruby formed.

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

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.