Gemstones fall into three categories: those which are usually free from inclusions
(internal blemishes), those which usually have inclusions, and those which almost
always have inclusions.
Emeralds, rubies and sapphires almost always have inclusions and this is considered
a normal characteristic of these gemstones.
What is an Inclusion?
Dictionary Definition
Mineralogy. a solid body or a body of gas
or liquid enclosed within the mass of a mineral.
An inclusion may be anything which could interfere with light as it travels through
a gemstone. It might be a small pocket of gas, an internal fracture or an air space.
Sapphires, emeralds and rubies may all have inclusions because of the way in which
they were formed millions of years ago. Inclusions are an accepted natural phenomenon
and do not always affect the desirability of the gemstone. It is standard gemstone
industry practice to enhance gemstones to improve their natural qualities. Find
out more about
gemstone enhancements.
Inclusion Descriptions
The majority of our gemstones have a clarity rating we describe as eye clean. This
means that any inclusions are not visible without magnification. You will not be
able to see the inclusions with the naked eye.
We also carry gemstones which are loupe clean, meaning that any inclusions are almost
invisible even when using 10x magnification. Precious gemstones with only a few
inclusions are available but are rare and carry a higher price because of their
scarcity.
Search for
loose sapphires,
emeralds,
rubies or
semi-precious gemstones.
Search for
sapphire jewelry,
emerald jewelry or
ruby jewelry.
Definition courtesy of
Random House Unabridged Dictionary,
© Random House, Inc. 2006.
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