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Learning About Sapphire Clarity   by John S Stewart

The second most relevant quality when looking for Sapphire Earrings, Sapphire Pendants and Sapphire Rings, is clarity. This is the second of the four C's - colour, clarity, carat (weight) and finally cut.

Gemologists use the amount of inclusions in a stone to determine the gems natural origin or not, and these characteristics then determine the quality. Blue sapphires tend to have more internal inclusions than the fancy sapphires. Any natural defects that effect the surface of a gems are said to be blemishes.

Clarity Properties

According to the GIA - Gemological Institute of America gemstones are classified with regards to clarity in the following manner:

VVS - Very, very slightly included - has minor inclusions that can be seen under 10x magnification, but invisible to the naked eye. No effect on appearance. VS - Is very slightly included - noticeable inclusions not likely to be visible to the unaided eye, but easily seen under 10x magnification. Little or no effect on brilliance. SI1 - Is slightly included - large or numerous inclusions that can be easily seen under 10x magnification. These inclusions are apparent or somewhat apparent with the naked eye. Slight effect on appearance, but little or no effect on brilliance. SI2 - Is slightly included - obvious inclusions that can be easily seen under 10x magnification. Slight effect on appearance and brilliance. I1 - Obvious inclusions - significant effect on appearance, brilliance and transparency. I2 - Prominent inclusions - significant effect on appearance, brilliance and transparency. I3 - Numerous and prominent inclusions - severe effect on appearance, brilliance and transparency.

Sapphire inclusions

Sapphire inclusions can be broken down in to the following categories:

Crystals - Known as solid inclusions of various shapes and sizes. These are usually extremely small crystals known as pinpoints or grains inside. Silk - When fine fibres of rutile (titanium dioxide) is found or other minerals that resemble the look of silk are present. Well-formed silk particles indicate that the sapphire is not enhanced by the heat treating process. Silk has always been a preferred inclusion when discussing sapphires. Needles - Usually long or thin inclusions from crystals, or tubes that are filled with gas or liquid, also known as growth tubes. Cracks - These feather-like inclusions sometimes are also known as fractures or fissures. Parting - A breakage along a plane of weakness is found. Twinning - If two crystals grow out of from one another or form nearby each other. Halos - These are the common circular fractures that are found surrounding a crystal. Fingerprints - Quite commonly found in sapphires, these strange inclusions look like being of human fingerprints. Colour zoning - Colours are shown being from uneven distribution with. Cavities - These small holes are found extending into sapphires from the surface of the gemstones. Chips - If any broken off pieces along the girdle or on the culet of the sapphire, are present.

Surface Blemishes of Sapphire

Sapphire blemishes on the surface can be categorized in the following manner:

Scratches - these are lines scraped on gemstones. Pits - these are tiny holes found on the stone's surface. Nicks - usually broken parts of a stone's girdle or facet. Abrasions - can be rough scrapings found along the stone's facet edges.

Sapphire Transparency

The transparency (often forgot about when grading sapphire gemstones), is the visibility that is apparent through the stone. It can be graded in the following way when viewing through the stone:

Transparent - clear and distinct. Excellent brilliance despite any inclusions present. Semitransparent - slightly hazy or blurry. Translucent - difficult to see through. Light will pass through in a diffused state. Semi-translucent or semi-opaque - a small portion of light passes through only. Opaque - almost no light will be able to pass through.

I hope that this article on the clarity of sapphires can be of some help to you.

About the Author

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