Hello,I need help identifying these inclusions please.thank you.Its a sapphire.
Hi Nirmala,
It is difficult to see enough detail on the two spherical inclusions to be sure, but looks like colorant globs that are surrounded by thin halos. Have you determined if this stone is lab-grown or natural?
The image above is difficult to see any detail within the stone, but it looks like there are surface scratches and what looks to be strands of bubbles within the stone.
Cheers!
Thank you for your reply,I’m trying to figure out if it’s lab grown or natural. It’s gives readings for a sapphire. With the color it’s more a padparadsha but natural or synthetic I have to figure out..I read that nickel is added to synthetic padparadshas for the yellow and it shows up in spectroscope.Any suggestions please do help. I do have a spectroscope and can check but I’m not sure I know what to look for in the spectroscope for a pad sapphire..
A Padparadscha’s colors are typically caused from Cr and Fe. I haven’t seen any literature specifically discussing Ni and Ti dopants for lattice diffusion treatments outside of the AI search content and cited links below:
Through a handheld diffraction grating spectroscope, natural Padparadscha’s visible light absorption sample exhibits a typical chromium- and iron-related corundum spectrum: a general cutoff in the violet/blue region, a strong absorption band centered near 450–475 nm (responsible for the yellow-orange component), and distinct chromium lines or a doublet in the deep red around 692–694 nm accompanied by broad green absorption.
A synthetic Padparadscha sapphire looks radically different from its natural counterpart. Synthetic variants typically lack the complex iron-related bands found in natural gems, presenting a remarkably clean, high-transmission spectrum dominated purely by chromium and deliberate synthetic dopants like titanium or nickel. [1, 2, 3]
Spectroscopic Key Markings
- Absent Iron Lines: Unlike natural fancy sapphires, there is no distinct 450 nm, 460 nm, or 471 nm dark line triplet in the blue region. The blue zone remains entirely bright and clear.
- Aggressive Chromium Profile: Strong, broad absorption blankets the green-yellow center (540–560 nm). A broad absorption band cuts off the deep violet (~410 nm).
- Blazing Fluorescent Doublet: In the deep red region (694 nm), synthetics show a fluorescent emission line that glows intensely red, noticeably brighter than natural stones under identical light.
Detecting Nickel (Ni²⁺ or Ni³⁺) in a Padparadscha sapphire using a handheld diffraction grating spectroscope is highly diagnostic. Nickel is not a natural coloring agent in corundum. Its presence explicitly points to artificial surface lattice diffusion treatment or synthetic manufacturing designed to force an orange color component into the gemstone. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The Nickel Spectral Signature
When nickel is artificially diffused into sapphire, it creates unique absorption bands that disrupt the normal pink-to-orange balance of a natural gem.
- The 450–480 nm Yellow-Orange Block: Nickel introduces a broad, strong absorption band peaking in the blue-violet region (~450 to 480 nm). Through a diffraction spectroscope, this appears as a heavy, dark shadow cutting off the blue end of the rainbow, which masks the stone’s natural light transmission and forces a synthetic orange hue.
- The 550–560 nm Green Window: Nickel creates an absorption band in the green region. When mixed with chromium (which provides the pink color), this broadens the green absorption zone, making the center of the spectrum look muddy or significantly blacked out compared to a natural stone.
- The 630–650 nm Orange-Red Blur: Depending on the oxidation state (Ni²⁺ in a tetrahedral or octahedral distortion), a faint, broad shadow can sometimes be observed in the orange-red boundary. [1]
Natural vs. Nickel-Diffused Spectrum Comparison
Because handheld diffraction spectroscopes do not show numerical nanometer markings, you must compare the relative positions of the dark bands across the rainbow:
Feature / Region Natural Padparadscha Sapphire Nickel-Diffused Sapphire (Treatment/Synthetic) Blue Region (450–470 nm) Clear transmission or a few thin, sharp iron (Fe³⁺) lines. A heavy, broad dark absorption patch blocking the blue entirely. Green Region (500–560 nm) Moderate, diffuse shadow allowing some green light to pass. A deeply darkened, expanded block that merges with the blue shadow. Red Region (694 nm) Faint, sharp chromium doublet; mild or soft fluorescence. Sharp chromium lines masked by an unnaturally bright, fiery red glow under intense light. Diagnostic Testing Limitations
While a handheld diffraction spectroscope can give you a strong warning sign—such as a broad blue-green blackout without sharp iron lines—nickel concentration from lattice diffusion is often concentrated in a micro-thin layer on the stone’s surface. [1]
Advanced gemological laboratories confirm the presence of nickel using UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometers or trace-element chemical analysis like LA-ICP-MS to definitively catch low-parts-per-million levels of treatment.
I’m not very keen with using AI to search for literature but lately, it has become a centric tool and I hesitate to trust the resultant content.
I have some rough lab-grown material displaying the orangey-pink Padparadscha hue. I don’t have a camera setup to display the spectra through my hand-held spectroscope, but will see if I can put something together to image it. The rough material shouldn’t show any nickel spectra, but should be able to see a lack of Fe. 
Oh wow, thank you sooo much .. I’ll check it and let you know and spectrum of your synthetic will be so helpful.Thank you ..thank you so much .