by AIGS
Ruby is the birthstone of July.
At first glance, this ruby displays the rich red colour expected of fine corundum. Under magnification, however, a different story unfolds. This image reveals rows of yellow-orange flux inclusions preserved within a Ramaura flux-grown synthetic ruby. These tiny remnants of the flux medium became trapped as the crystal slowly developed in a carefully controlled laboratory environment.
Unlike natural ruby, which forms over millions of years within the Earth’s crust, flux-grown synthetic ruby is produced by dissolving the necessary chemical components in a molten flux. As the crystal grows, small amounts of this molten material may become enclosed within the gemstone, producing the distinctive inclusions seen here. Their colour, shape, and orderly arrangement provide valuable clues to the crystal’s growth history.
Why It Matters
Flux inclusions are among the most important microscopic features used to identify flux-grown synthetic ruby. When observed together with characteristic growth structures, they provide strong evidence of laboratory growth. Rather than being imperfections, these inclusions preserve a permanent record of how the crystal was created, allowing gemologists to distinguish synthetic ruby from its natural counterpart with confidence.
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