Inclusions – Natural Diamond Imperfections Part II
To offer you insight into different imperfections – or inclusions – that are often found in the natural diamond, we have focused a series of posts on these characteristics often inherent in a mined diamond. In our first post, we looked at the clouds and feathers, understanding how to identify them on sight and what they can mean for the value of your stone. Now, we will examine crystals, cavities and cleavage.
Crystals
While it may seem unusual that a crystal within the natural diamond is considered to be an inclusion, anything that affects the way light passes through the stone is seen as an imperfection. It is a possible a crystal can enhance the diamond’s visual properties. In truth, a crystal can have a wide array of influence on the appearance of the stone.
Crystals within a natural diamond are often a small diamond trapped inside a larger diamond. Some have called the crystal the undigested gemstone, but not all crystals are diamonds. Crystals within the diamond can also be a garnet, diopside, spinel, olivine, calcite, iron oxides or even silica.
It is common for customers to view the crystal in a favorable light – literally. Some have described the crystal as a baby diamond, while others love the uniqueness of the tiny garnet inside the diamond. Crystals have also been referred to as needles, clouds and pinpoints, although each of these inclusions has its own characteristics that will vary from a true crystal inclusion.
Cavities
Much like a cavity in the mouth, when referring to a diamond, this inclusion is a large or deep opening in the diamond. And, like the tooth cavity, the diamond cavity is generally caused by human intervention. A cavity can occur when a feather or pinpoint already exists on the stone and the polishing process causes the inclusion to worsen, leaving a hole or opening in the stone.
It is important to note that a cavity is not the same thing as a chip. A cavity will generally have drag lines visible to one side of the cavity in the location where miniscule diamond particles have been dragged across the surface of the diamond by the polishing wheel. The hole of the cavity is clearly defined when the blemish removed is a crystal as this inclusion caused the basis of the cavity in the formation of the stone.
Cleavage
Like crystals and cavities, cleavage can be damaging to the natural diamond. Cleavage is a straight crack along the stone without any feathering. If the length of the cleavage is long enough, it has the potential to split the diamond apart.
This split generally only happens if the diamond is hit at the right angle, but the potential for damage still affects the integrity of the stone. If the cleavage cannot be seen when a diamond is viewed in the face up position, it is not considered a serious impact on clarity rating.
The inclusions mentioned here are not all natural imperfections found in a diamond, as the cavity certainly needs human assistance to appear. What is important to consider is that any of these imperfections can affect the visual brilliance, quality and value of your stone.
We will continue to examine the different inclusions you may encounter in searching for the perfect stone. Check back next time as we examine pinpoints, needles and internal graining.
