It is difficult to come across the perfect diamond. Each diamond has some flaws, though they’re better known as characteristics or attributes. If you ever observe the stone closely, under a 10X magnification loupe, you’ll be able to see its internal characteristics. They are known as blemishes and inclusions.

When you purchase a diamond, it’s clarity should be your concern. A jeweller can easily tell you that the stone is completely clear. However, you can always check a diamond clarity grading scale and choose how clear your diamond should be.

Inclusions and what they mean

Essentially, there is nothing wrong with having some imperfections in your diamond. These characteristics are a natural diamond’s birthmarks and in some way, add to its authenticity.

Diamonds are formed deep inside the Earth. It takes a huge amount of heat and pressure for diamonds to form. Natural phenomenon like a volcanic eruption brings them closer to the surface from where they are mined. While they’re taking shape inside, most diamonds end up with some spots on the inside.

The inclusions affect the clarity of the stone and hence, its shine. Some of them are very small and may not affect the brilliance of the stone in any way. However, others are bigger and may make the rock appear dull. If you were to choose a diamond with absolutely no spots, you would be paying a lot for it.  And the chances of finding one are not exactly very high.

These are some types of inclusions one may come across.

Sometimes, you may see a minute dot inside your diamond. It may be a very harmless imperfection and could only be visible only under 10X magnification. This is called a pinpoint inclusion and is the most common type found in most diamonds.

A diamond which has an imperfection in the form of a straight long line is known as a needle inclusion. Depending on its size, it is either negligible or can make the diamond look dull.

Imagine a really tiny feather embedded inside your diamond. Some inclusions look exactly like that, sometimes as a half feather. It is actually a crack and is called a feather inclusion. These are slightly more visible than pinpoint inclusions because of their shape. 

Some diamonds literally have small cavities inside. They’re like pinpoint inclusions that got bigger and deeper. They are called diamond cavities and are seen in fewer stones. But these spots are so obvious that the diamond cannot be set on jewellery. Such diamonds only have industrial uses.

Inclusions are generally visible when light passes through the diamond. Otherwise, they could be quite transparent and negligible. It is difficult to get rid of them through the best quality cut and polish. If you try to do so, you’ll risk wasting most part of the diamond.

Love your diamond for what it is

A majority of diamonds are at least slightly flawed and go unnoticed if they’re light. Every type of inclusion can ruin the appearance of the rock only if there are more than one or are large enough.

However, there are a couple of ways to ensure that these imperfections do not take the shine away from your diamond. You can go for a stone with more colour to mask really minute inclusions. Or you could use more side diamonds that take the focus away from the flawed stone.