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Sapphire inclusion rainbow

ephsea

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
181
I have a heated Montana sapphire with inclusions that make rainbows. Most of the time it just gives the gem the fire of a more dispersive gem, but in the right light you can actually see a rainbow inside the gem. I finally got a blurry shot that shows it a bit. Does anyone know what type/types of inclusions would cause this? At the top of the gem you can just make it out.

mtrainbow.jpg
 

Michael_E

Brilliant_Rock
Trade
Joined
Nov 19, 2003
Messages
1,290
Rainbows are caused by fracture surfaces where those surfaces are just the right distance apart so that the reflected light from both surfaces "interferes" with itself. Sort of like a diffraction grating.
 
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