The different variants of gemstone inclusions
Inclusions can occur in different forms. One possibility is that they are minerals trapped in the crystals, another is that they are caused by growth defects.
In addition, inclusions can be formed when small empty spaces fill with gases or liquids - but stress cracks that remain hollow are also considered inclusions; they can either be located within the gemstone or extend to its surface.
Inclusions – disturbing or desirable?
Inclusions are usually not welcome in gemstones and there are several reasons for this: they can have a negative effect on the color, brilliance and durability. If a gemstone has many large inclusions, there is an increased risk of it being damaged.
There are some exceptions to this general rule. Gemstones such as emeralds almost always have inclusions, which make each individual specimen absolutely unique. In this case, they are not necessarily seen as reducing the value. There are also cases in which a large number of inclusions evenly distributed across the gemstone create beautiful light figures. For example, the cat's eye effect, which can occur with tiger's eye, and asterism, a star-shaped light phenomenon that can be observed in rare cases with sapphires and rubies.
inclusions in diamonds
For diamonds alone , an internationally valid system for classifying clarity has been established. Inclusions are assessed under a microscope at ten times magnification. A diamond receives the highest clarity grade of IF (internally flawless) if no irregularities whatsoever can be seen. There are less uniform regulations for all other gemstones – they are generally divided into three categories. Type I gemstones are characterised by their flawless quality; examples of this group include blue topaz and aquamarine . Type II usually has inclusions, such as ruby or amethyst. Type III has a pronounced inclusion life; the typical representative of this class is the emerald . The assessment of coloured gemstones from Eye Clean (ECLN) to Severely Included is based on this classification and is strictest for Type I gemstones.
diamond evaluation
Diamond lexicon
