Augusto Castillo - 3D & Motion DesignerCase Study: Gemological Inclusion Scene

Inspired by my gemology background, I created an immersive animation to take viewers on a journey inside a diamond. I modeled an engagement ring in Blender and designed a detailed inclusion scene to replicate the experience of viewing a gemstone under a microscope. Using particle systems, I added carbon particles—common inclusions in diamonds— and a pink xenomorphic garnet, bringing the scene to life. The camera animation guides the viewer through the diamond’s intricate interior, a concept inspired by an article in the Gems & Gemology journal written by a former colleague.


Software
Blender | Modeling, Texturing, Animation 
After Effect | Video Editing, Post-Processing














I modeled the diamond, used a particle system to generate small inclusions, and positioned the camera within the diamond to simulate a microscopic perspective.

The main challenge was creating the inclusion scene inside the diamond. By applying a texture to mimic diamond refraction, I achieved a realistic effect that closely resembles how gemstones appear under a microscope, complete with dynamic light refractions and reflections.