The Inner World of Gemstones

You might think this picture is an amazing work of art.  Well, it is.  Art from Mother Nature.  The barrel-shaped patterns in the photo above are the prism faces of an aquamarine gemstone.  Gemstones are beautiful - so beautiful we wear them in gorgeous pieces of jewelry.  But there is a depth to their beauty that can't be seen with the naked eye.

The Gemological Institute of America has begun a series on the micro-world of gemstones and we wanted to share a bit of this inner world with you.  The micro-world of gemstones lies at the very heart of gemology.  Information gathered from observations through the microscope serves as the foundation for many conclusions drawn on a gemstone including identification, geographic origin, separation or natural and synthetic materials - even a gem's genesis and the secrets of the Earth's depths may be revealed.

It's a world most of us don't get to view.  So join us on this amazing journey inside gemstones.

This beautiful view shows a sphere of chalcedony inside a Mexican fire opal.

This may look like wood grain but it is the detailed fibrous structure of a fire agate from Deer Creek, Arizona.







Polarized light was used to reveal the twinned structure of this crystal within obsidian.







Wow!  What incredible beauty lies within gemstones!  Bet you won't look at a gemstone quiet the same again!

Source: http://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/micro-world-gallery#