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Enhancements: Photos of Heated Rubies & Sapphire

Microscopic Photography of Heating Decrepitation Inclusions in Ruby

Heating and/or fracture-filling ruby inclusions are man-made imperfections that are the result of stress fractures, feathers, or trapped air bubbles created when the ruby or sapphire corundum was heated and/or repaired with molten lead glass treatments or flux-healing. These microscopic photographs shows the telltale signs of some form of enhancement treatment.

Microscopic Inclusions from Ruby Heating

Heating Decrepitation Inclusions in Pink Sapphire

Decrepitation Inclusions from Ruby Heating

All of the microscopic ruby inclusion photography on this page was generously contributed by the AGSL gemological testing laboratory in Las Vegas, Nevada (photographed by Joe Vanells, Director of Gem Services), and is reproduced with their permission.

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