Formed deep within the earth’s crust, precious gemstones are nature’s masterpiece, holding us spellbound us with their kaleidoscope of colours, brilliance and unique patterns. But for gemmologist Billie Hughes, it’s what lies inside the heart of each gem that fascinates her the most, as if there’s a tiny, hidden world that lived within. She eventually started taking photomicrographs to record her findings, building up a sizable database of inclusion scenes found in each gem. Her photomicrographs have won awards and been published in publications like Wall Street Journal.
“One of my favourite inclusion specimens is a piece of amethyst that I found while walking around the annual gem and mineral show in Tucson, Arizona, USA,” she shares. “It was not a particularly expensive stone, but when I looked at it, I…
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Tatler Malaysia (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2023