Pao-Mai Ruby Pictures

Pao mai rubies showing their distinctive muddy red colour and appearance. Virtually every stone I examined was similar in colour to the parcel above.    All the pao mai rubies I examined contained distinctive inclusions, where the filling mixture had entered the stone. The inclusions have a similar resemblance to flux inclusions.   In this picture you can clearly see the filler standing out. This is due to the difference in the R.I. between the filler and the ruby. The patches are easiest to see when the stone is examined in a reflective light and focusing on the stone surface. Polishing lines are also clearly visible.   Many pao mai rubies show interference colours when the inclusions are examined under a microscope. The colours are best seen using a fibre optic light but are also visible using dark field illumination.

 

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