Gemstones through our microscope

Diamonds

Sapphires and rubies
Sapphire from early 20th Century. The colour band is a common feature

Star rubies show a 'star' shaped reflection

Emeralds and Aquamarine Beryl minerals
Emerald lit to show its many inclusions

Garnets
Apatite crystals in a garnet

Tanzanite
Growth tubes in Tanzanite, stone mounted in a ring, surrounded by diamonds

Amethyst, Citrine, Smoky Quartz, Rock Crystal, quartz

Moonstone
Light refracted in the stone causes light bands to show

Sunstone

Opals

Iolite

Moissanite, a synthetic stone

Spider trapped in amber

How I take the photos

I have taken all the photographs for these pages. At first I used a digital compact camera (different models over the years) held to the eyepiece of a microscope, using a UV filter to protect the eyepiece from scratches.
Then I bought a Dino-Eye Microscope Eye-Piece Camera, which replaces the microscope eyepiece. It had serious limitations. The exposure cannot be adjusted (essential when photographing gems), and definition was poor.
After a few years break, I am using a phone. Big step backwards! I need a gadget to hold the phone against the microscope. I wanted good quality, so spent over £50! Another mistake, the build quality is dreadful, the phone wobbles all the time.
Photos are edited with Affinity. It sharpens the picturees, blurring is always a problem when photographing through a microscope
You will note that the gemstones appear rather dark, this is because the light is carefully arranged to reduce the normal reflections, so you can see detail within the stones.
Resizing and cropping the pictures for these pages results in loss of detail. So I am adding links to the original photos if they show more detail.
Their shape shows these also have been cropped to remove blank areas.
I love seeing gems through our microscope, and hope you will enjoy the pictures.

While writing about each gem, I have commented on how to clean the stones. For further information do look at our page on cleaning jewellery at home.
I give this advice free, and cannot accept responsibility if a gemstone is damaged by cleaning. If you have any doubts, always consult a jeweller. Be especially careful if the stone is damaged.