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Needle- A long thin inclusion that can be solid crystal or hollow tube and it might be filled with liquid or gas.


Silk-Groups of fine needle inclusions. This type of inclusion can create very attractive stones. An example of this is a star stones and cats eye stones.

Fingerprint- This type of inclusions is exactly as its name sounds. It forms a pattern that often resembles a fingerprint. Also they are like a fingerprint in that no two are ever the same. They are actually a partially healed fracture plane. Droplets of fluid were trapped in the crystal before it stopped growing.

Feather-This is the general term for a break in a stone. The term includes any separation or break in a stone. It includes cleavages, parting and fractures if they have not been healed by the natural process. This can be a serious inclusion as it can affect the durability of the stone. If the feather is large this really becomes an issue.

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Included crystal-A mineral crystal that is trapped within a gem while it is growing. This crystal can be the same crystal as the gem it is trapped inside. It can also be many shapes such as angular or rounded. It can also be different colors, light, dark, transparent or opaque.


Negative Crystal- This is a space that might have liquid, gas or both inside a gemstone. It resembles a mineral inclusion but does not have the mineral. You see these in the beryl gemstone like an emerald.