Shopping BasketInclusions - A Diamond's Internal Clarity Characteristics
Your diamond's individual characteristics determine its clarity grade. These features are marked on your diamond certificate. The characteristics may be on the diamond's external surfaces or internal in the diamond crystal itself.
The term 'inclusions' describes any clarity imperfections that penetrate into or are wholly embedded within a diamond. Inclusions occur naturally and provide evidence that the gemstone is a natural diamond. There are a number of different internal clarity characteristics with a variety of impacts on the performance of a diamond. The key terms are as follows - It may be interesting for you to read on and find out what they mean:
Bearding
Fine hairline fractures travelling into the stone from the girdle.
Carbon Spots
These are included crystals that have a dark appearance rather than a white or transparent appearance under a microscope.
Clouds
A hazy area in a diamond, usually made up of a grouping of tiny pinpoints. Too small to be distinguishable from one another, even under magnification, the result is that under a microscope they often look like a soft transparent cloud within the diamond. Clouds can scatter light and diminish transparency, but in most cases this sort of inclusion does not significantly impact a diamond's clarity grade.
Crystal
A mineral crystal formation contained within a diamond, usually colourless. However, sometimes coloured crystals or other minute gemstones crystals such as a garnet crystal form inside the diamond. (See also 'pinpoint", below)
Feathers
These are small, usually natural, cleavages running along the internal grain of a diamond. In some cases the feather both begins and ends within the diamond's surface - in other cases, the feather begins inside the diamond and extends out to the surface. When viewed under magnification, some feathers are transparent and others have a light white appearance to them.
Fractures
Similar to feathers except that they do not follow the grain and are usually irregular or curved.
Gletz
Also known as "feathers", as above.
Internal Graining
This is a visible structural phenomenon caused by differences in crystal orientation or irregularities in the crystal structure. Internal graining can have a considerable effect on a diamond's clarity grading
Laser-Drill Holes
A fine tube-like hole made by a laser, which will appear as a frosted or colourless needle in the stone when viewed through the pavilion. Laser drilling is a man-made attempt to raise a diamond's clarity by creating a space in which to inject acid to dissolve dark internal crystals.
Pinpoint
Occurring singly or in groups, pinpoints are extremely small included crystals.
Twinning Wisp
A cloudy area usually found in association with a twin plane. Caused by crystal distortion, it will appear as a flat cloud and is often characterised by trails that wander around on one plane.
