Inclusions – Main Lesson

Unit 6: What’s Inside? (Nature’s Fingerprints)

What’s This All About? 

Tiny treasures inside treasures! Jake shows us the fascinating little bits trapped inside gemstones and explains why they’re actually pretty amazing.

Key Takeaways: 

• Inclusions are nature’s fingerprints – tiny materials or imperfections trapped inside gems as they grow 
• They can include other minerals, gas bubbles, liquid-filled cavities, or tiny cracks and fractures 
• Inclusions form when gems grow around existing materials or when formation conditions change suddenly 
• General rule: Fewer inclusions usually means higher value and rarity 
• Special exceptions: Some inclusions actually make gemstones MORE valuable and desirable! 
• Value-increasing inclusion examples:
  • Rutilated quartz: golden needle-like rutile creates stunning starburst patterns
  • Moss agate: green inclusions look like tiny forests or underwater plants trapped in stone
  • Amber: fossilized tree sap sometimes contains perfectly preserved ancient insects 
• Inclusions help gemologists determine if a stone is natural or lab-created 
• Natural and synthetic gems often have different types of characteristic inclusions 
• Inclusions can provide clues about where a gemstone formed and under what conditions 
• They’re like tiny time capsules telling the story of the gem’s geological journey 
• Some inclusions create special optical effects like stars (asterism) or cat’s eyes (chatoyancy) 
• Gemologists can identify specific

International Gem Society

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