How To Buy Gemstones page 6 of 10
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Clarity
During the slow formation of the gem crystal inside the earth, the gem mineral always “hosts” some other materials that were captured inside it. These guests are called inclusions, and they can be anything from tiny little water bubbles to small pieces of other mineral crystals or metal needles. Even a stone that appears perfectly clean under ten-fold magnification will have some inclusions that can be detected only by microscope.
Inclusions have some important roles too. First, they are like a natural fingerprint that can help us determine the genuineness of a stone. The famous “horse tail” inclusion in a Demantoid Garnet tells us that the Demantoid comes from the Ural mountains, making it a very expensive one. Rubies also carry unique inclusions that are called “fingerprints” and so do many other gemstones.
Moreover, in some gems the inclusions are the thing that really “makes” the stone. This is the case with Star Sapphires and some Chrysoberyl, where the special structure of the inclusions, under the right light, creates the stunning effect of a star or a cat’s eye. Rutile (a type of mineral) needles that can be found in some Quartz stones in a very ordered way that cross the stone are also popular.
But in most other cases, the inclusions damage the general look of a gem. Not only do they look like pieces of dirt, they also disturb the proper break of light inside the crystal. In most translucent colored stones, the level of inclusions affects the price, sometimes dramatically.
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Find more info in our gemstones articles section.