Micro-World Gems & Gemology, Summer 2024, Vol. 60, No. 2

Unique Fingerprint in Montana Sapphire


Inclusions combine to create a bird pattern inside a Montana sapphire. Photomicrograph by Isabelle Corvin; field of view 2.4 mm.
Inclusions combine to create a bird pattern inside a Montana sapphire. Photomicrograph by Isabelle Corvin; field of view 2.4 mm.

The group of fingerprint and crystal inclusions shown in the figure above forms a unique and uncanny shape within a 6 × 4 mm heated Montana sapphire. The pattern displays a bird, complete with iridescence along the “wings” and a prominent included crystal as the “eye.” The angle of the bird within the sapphire adds depth and movement to the pattern.

Isabelle Corvin is a gemologist in Olympia, Washington.