Inclusions – Optional Activity

Inclusion Experiment – Inclusion Detective Laboratory

Introduction

What are you doing? You’re learning to read the “stories” that inclusions tell about how gemstones formed, by creating your own included materials and examining them like a professional gemologist.

What does it show? This experiment demonstrates how foreign materials get trapped inside growing crystals, creating permanent records of the conditions that existed during formation.

Why is this important? Inclusions are like fingerprints for gemstones – they help gemologists identify natural vs. synthetic stones, determine geographic origin, and understand formation conditions. Some inclusions actually increase a stone’s value by proving its natural origin or rare formation environment.

Materials Needed

Ice Inclusion Creation:

• Ice cube trays
• Various “inclusion” materials:
  • Glitter (simulates mineral inclusions)
  • Small toy insects (like amber inclusions)
  • Colored beads (like crystal inclusions)
  • Threads or hair (like needle inclusions)
  • Food coloring drops (like liquid inclusions)
  • Small pieces of different materials

Examination Tools:

• Strong magnifying glass or jeweler’s loupe
• Bright LED flashlight
• White background material
• Tweezers for handling
• Camera or smartphone with macro capability (optional)

Safety Requirements

• Handle frozen materials with care to avoid frostbite
• Adult supervision when using sharp tools for examination
• Keep inclusion materials clean and safe for handling

Step-by-Step Instructions

Phase

…

---

---