Grading

This Database of Gemstone Inclusions Is Now Open to All

GradingFeb 21, 2019

This Database of Gemstone Inclusions Is Now Open to All

Bangkok lab Lotus Gemology compiled the photo database, which is free and available to anyone who needs it.

20190221_Hyperion-ruby.jpg
Lotus Gemology has made its inclusion photomicrographs available for the trade to see through its new, free database, Hyperion. This photo shows melted crystals surrounded by “runny channels” in a heat-treated Thai/Cambodian natural ruby. (Image courtesy Lotus Gemology/Photo credit: E. Billie Hughes)
Tucson, Ariz.—Bangkok-based laboratory Lotus Gemology just made its inclusion photography archives available for everyone in the industry to see and use.

Hyperion, a searchable database, features more than 900 photomicrographs—photos of gemstone inclusions taken through a microscope—shot primarily by Lotus using a trinocular microscope, which has a third eyetube to connect a microscope camera.

The database is largely the result of the work of Billie Hughes, who opened Lotus Gemology in 2014 with her parents, Richard Hughes and Wimon Manorotkul.

Whereas her parents had decades of gemological experience, Billie Hughes had just received her gemology diploma from the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) and didn’t have a lot of practical testing experience at the time they opened their lab, she told National Jeweler in Tucson during the AGTA show. 

“I found that a lot of what we learned in class was based on identifying gems, which is really important, but most of our customers already know what they have. Ninety-plus percent know if it’s a ruby or not a ruby. They’re looking for treatment, for origin, for color. They’re basically looking for all the things they need to sell it to somebody.”

Because she was seeing so much material and learning as she went, Hughes started taking photos of inclusions, hoping it would help her remember what came in front of her. 

“I just thought, ‘Oh, I’ll take pictures of everything. It’s like taking notes.’”

She photographed inclusions she thought were interesting and saved them in the Adobe Bridge computer program, along with a brief description. After a few months, Hughes was able to search through them for reference. 

She said her parents saw the inclusion database she was building and thought it should be made available to the industry since so many could benefit from what she had catalogued. 

 Related stories will be right here … 

So, Lotus put the photomicrographs into the database it had already had set up to test stones and made it accessible online.

Now, Hyperion—named for the Greek god of light—is available as a free reference for anyone.

It currently is comprised predominantly of ruby, sapphire and spinel photos, Hughes said, because that’s what they’ve been testing for the past five years. But this year, Lotus will start testing other colored gemstones, so the database likely will expand.

Each picture is accompanied by a brief description of what’s pictured and characteristics of the photographed stone, such as enhancements and origin.

The database includes both natural and man-made stones to allow users to compare materials.

“I think a lot of the functionality of it is based on searches and comparisons. You can search by origin. You can search by treatment, like heated versus unheated. You can combine parameters. And you can search by keyword,” Hughes said.

For example, users can compare a heated ruby from Mozambique to an unheated ruby with the same origin or search using the keyword “silk,” which results in more than 100 images.

In fact, because Lotus Gemology believes some of the photos are even more powerful when seen side-by-side, the lab has compiled some pairings and posted them with notes on the Lotus website.

Concurrent with the launch of Hyperion, Lotus also has debuted Four Treasures, a free database containing more than 5,000 references intended to help with research relating to gems and gemology. 

Built from the lab’s internal reference database it uses for research—from thousands of hours of work over nearly four decades—Four Treasures provides a search for books and papers about gemology from a variety of sources. It is particularly strong in citations relating to ruby, sapphire, spinel and jade. 

“It is our way of giving back to those who have come before us, and going forward, providing tools to researchers who are working to push gemology ahead,” the lab said on its website.
Brecken Branstratoris the senior editor, gemstones at National Jeweler, covering sourcing, pricing and other developments in the colored stone sector.

The Latest

The Story of Everything Campaign, Toadstool Mushroom and Cosmic Egg
CollectionsJun 30, 2025
State Property’s New Jewelry Tells ‘The Story of Everything’

Co-founders Afzal Imram and Lin Ruiyin brought their son’s story of a cosmic egg, toadstool, and railroad to life in their new collection.

Smart Age Solutions CEO Emmanuel Raheb
ColumnistsJun 30, 2025
The Smart Lab: Why Q3 Is the Secret Weapon For Holiday Jewelry Sales

The best time to prepare for the holiday season is right now, according to columnist Emmanuel Raheb.

Morgan Keefe
Events & AwardsJun 30, 2025
AGA Names Recipient of 2025 Gemological Education Scholarship

This year’s winner is Morgan Keefe, who is currently studying at GIA to be a gemologist.

an instructor and a student in a bench jewelry classroom
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench Jewelers

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

The Jewelry Book
IndependentsJun 30, 2025
Melanie Grant’s New Book Explores 200 Years of Jewelry

“The Jewelry Book” comes out this September.

Weekly QuizJun 26, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Gemist
TechnologyJun 27, 2025
Gemist Raises $6M in Funding to Scale Jewelry Tech Platform

The company is focused on modernizing the custom jewelry buying experience with e-commerce tools like product visualization and 3D styling.

Jeff Preolo, David Stout, Levi Higgs, David Benavides
IndependentsJun 27, 2025
David Webb Announces New Hires, Promotions

Following its recent acquisition, the storied brand has updated its leadership team and regional managers.

Jewelers of America logo with meetup, State of the Majors, giveaway and massages
Brought to you by
Jewelers of America is Headed to Las Vegas for JCK 2025

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

Blake Graham and Jessica Kohoutek
Events & AwardsJun 27, 2025
AGS, GIA Announce Beatrice Shipley Scholarship Winner

AGS also named the recipient of its “Women in Leadership” scholarship.

Buddha Mama Monstera Ring
CollectionsJun 27, 2025
Piece of the Week: Buddha Mama’s ‘Monstera’ Wrap Ring

The 20-karat yellow gold and diamond wrap ring is modeled after the Monstera plants in the garden of the brand’s Miami villa.

Cashier handing Rocksbox bag to customer
MajorsJun 26, 2025
Why Rocksbox Is Opening Stores As Signet Jewelers Downsizes

Rocksbox President Allison Vigil shared the retailer’s expansion plans, and her thoughts on opening stores in malls.

Penny Ruston
IndependentsJun 26, 2025
Penny Ruston Dies at 80

The creator of the WJA Chicago chapter is remembered as a champion for women in the jewelry industry and a loving grandmother.

Stock image of woman shopping
SurveysJun 26, 2025
After Recovering in May, Consumer Confidence Dips in June

The decline was consistent across age groups and almost all income groups, with tariffs and inflation still top of mind.

Sorellina Playlist: Electric Dreams Campaign
CollectionsJun 26, 2025
Jam Out With Sorellina’s Jimi Hendrix-Inspired Jewels

The “Playlist: Electric Dreams” collection brings lyrics from the musician’s song, “Little Wing,” to life through fine jewelry.

The Jewelry Symposium event
Events & AwardsJun 26, 2025
The Jewelry Symposium Is Looking for Speakers for 2026 Event

The event is set for May 16-19 in Detroit, Michigan.

Exterior of Marissa Collections’ new store in Nantucket, Massachusetts
IndependentsJun 25, 2025
Marissa Collections Opens in Nantucket as Legal Fight Continues

The Vault’s Katherine Jetter is accusing the retailer of using info she shared for a potential partnership to move into Nantucket.

Counterfeit Cartier “Juste Un Clou” bracelet
CrimeJun 25, 2025
Customs Nabs Another Big Shipment of Fake Cartier, Van Cleef Jewelry

Agents seized 2,193 pieces, a mix of counterfeit Cartier “Love” and “Juste Un Clou” bracelets, and Van Cleef & Arpels’ “Alhambra” design.

Karine Choudhrie Big Splash Circus Starfish and Lantern Fish
CollectionsJun 25, 2025
Splash into Karina Choudhrie’s Collection of Underwater Circus Performers

The designer brought her children’s book, “The Big Splash Circus,” to life through a collection of playful fine jewelry characters.

Jewelers of America
Events & AwardsJun 25, 2025
JA Announces Impact Initiative Fund Recipients

The trade association has chosen the recipients of the funding initiative it formed to foster the growth and sustainability of the industry.

John Dyer Montana Sun Sapphire
SourcingJun 25, 2025
2025 AGTA Spectrum Awards Open for Entries

The organization has also announced this year’s slate of judges.

Khepri Jewels Luna collection fancy color fringe multi-shape drop diamond earrings
EditorsJun 24, 2025
The Best New Jewelry from Couture 2025, Part 2

Associate Editor Natalie Francisco shares 20 additional pieces that stood out to her at the Couture show.

Lori Tucker
IndependentsJun 24, 2025
Colorado Bench Jeweler Celebrates 50 Years With Local Retailer

Lori Tucker started at Williams Jewelers when she was 18 years old.

“Marvel | Citizen Zenshin” watch for the new The Fantastic Four movie
WatchesJun 24, 2025
Citizen’s New ‘Fantastic Four’ Watch Is Literally Super

The “Marvel | Citizen Zenshin” watch is crafted in Super Titanium and has subtle nods to all four “Fantastic Four” superheroes on the dial.

XO Tacori diamond ring
MajorsJun 24, 2025
Tacori, QVC to Launch Exclusive Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry Collection

The “XO Tacori” collection was designed to blend luxury and accessible pricing.

Graphic for Las Vegas recap episode of “My Next Question”
Recorded WebinarsJun 23, 2025
Watch: Top Trends at Couture, JCK Las Vegas 2025

National Jeweler and Jewelers of America discuss the standout jewelry trends and biggest news to emerge from the shows this year.

Luanda Accord
SourcingJun 23, 2025
Diamond Producers, Organizations to Kick in Money to Promote Natural Diamonds

Signatories to the “Luanda Accord” committed to allocating 1 percent of annual diamond revenue to the Natural Diamond Council.

Penny Preville, Maggie Hess, Stella Song, and Benjamin King
Events & AwardsJun 23, 2025
Jose Hess Design Awards Celebrate 6 Jewelry Designers

The winning designs captured the “Radiance” theme.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy