Mineral Inclusion on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
In mineralogy, an inclusion is any material that is trapped inside a
Inclusions are one of the most important factors when it comes to gem valuation. In many gemstones, such as
File:Gem with inclusion.JPG, Clear gemstone with metallic inclusion.
File:Peridotgem.JPG, Peridot with milky inclusion.
File:Ruby gem.JPG, Natural ruby with inclusions.
In mineralogy, an inclusion is any material that is trapped inside a mineral
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2 ...
during its formation. In gemology
Gemology or gemmology is the science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials. It is a geoscience and a branch of mineralogy. Some jewelers (and many non-jewelers) are academically trained gemologists and are qualified to identif ...
, an inclusion is a characteristic enclosed within a gemstone, or reaching its surface from the interior.
According to Hutton's law of inclusions, fragments included in a host rock are older than the host rock itself.
Mineralogy
Inclusions are usually other minerals or rocks, but may also be water, gas orpetroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
. Liquid or vapor inclusions are known as fluid inclusions. In the case of amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In M ...
it is possible to find insects and plants as inclusions.
The analysis of atmospheric gas bubble
Bubble, Bubbles or The Bubble may refer to:
Common uses
* Bubble (physics), a globule of one substance in another, usually gas in a liquid
** Soap bubble
* Economic bubble, a situation where asset prices are much higher than underlying fund ...
s as inclusions in ice cores is an important tool in the study of climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
.
A xenolith is a pre-existing rock which has been picked up by a lava flow. Melt inclusions form when bits of melt become trapped inside crystals as they form in the melt.
Gemology
Inclusions are one of the most important factors when it comes to gem valuation. In many gemstones, such as diamonds
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...
, inclusions affect the clarity of the gem, diminishing the value. In some gems, however, such as star sapphires, the inclusion actually increases the value of the gem.
Many colored gemstones are expected to have inclusions, and the inclusions do not greatly affect the stone's value. Colored gemstones are categorized into three types as follows:
*Type I colored gems include gems with very little or no inclusions. They include aquamarines, topaz and zircon.
*Type II colored gems include those that often have a few inclusions. They include sapphire, ruby
A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called ...
, garnet
Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives.
All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The different ...
and spinel.
*Type III colored gems include those that almost always have inclusions. Gems in this category include emerald and tourmaline.
Metallurgy
The term "inclusion" is also used in the context of metallurgy and metals processing. During the melt stage of processing particles such as oxides can enter or form in the liquid metal which are subsequently trapped when the melt solidifies. The term is usually used negatively such as when the particle could act as a fatigue crack nucleator or as an area of high stress intensity.See also
*Diamond inclusions
Diamond inclusions are the non-diamond materials that get encapsulated inside diamond during its formation process in the mantle. The trapped materials can be other minerals or fluids like water. Since diamonds have high strength and low reactivi ...
References
{{reflist Mineralogy Petrology Gemology Metallurgy