Check out these gem inclusions I photographed!

December 28th, 2022

Checkout some of my first gem inclusion photographs! They are called "photomicrographs".  The green one is an up-close of elongated Rose Channel inclusions spanning this Malawi Sapphire.  The first one has tension fractures that formed along side it. The second one is also a rose channel without any fractures. These photos were taken with a darkfield illumination from below and an overhead illumination.  

Boehmite and tension fractures, 50x 

 Rose Channels, 25x 

The entire gem macro photo

While I haven't yet photographed the finished garnet, I was excited to photograph some of these inclusions! This pink garnet from Tanzania features lots of micro rutile inclusions and some defined pyrite crystals as showcased in the first 3 photographs. Pyrite is also known as "fools gold".  The fourth photo showcases what appeared to be a fluid filled void. The camera wasn't able to capture the fluid but it was neon green to my eye. 

A pyrite cluster surrounded by rutile needles, 60x

A closeup of that pyrite cluster, 90x

A smaller pyrite cluster, 50x

A fluid filled void, 90x, this was a tough one to focus on. 

 

I will be documenting all unique inclusions in my gems from now on and starting my own database.  The inclusions mentioned are my opinion based on visual reference to peer reviewed guides of gem inclusions. Thanks for looking!