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Psychic Stone Newsletter: Included Crystals, Quartz & Agates
Would you want a gemstones containing inclusions? As a rule, the more inclusions in a gem has, the lower its value. This is especially true if inclusions discolor the mineral, degrade its transparency, or make it more likely to fracture.
Interestingly enough, there are a surprising amount of gemstones whose value is enhanced by the presence of inclusions - which either identifies its species or origin, or gives it certain optical or color characteristics. A good example is the included Demantoid Garnet whose "horsetail" inclusions verify valuable Russian origin. Another example is the Sunstone whose reflective platelets give the mineral its sparkle. Other great examples of included minerals becoming more valuable due to the inclusions are the Baltic Amber with trapped insects or plant parts, and Star Sapphires, which depend on rutile needles for creation of the star phenomenon.
Development Phenomena:
Development phenomena, such as the different inclusions, start and stops during crystal formation. A good example of the development phenomena is the "Phantom Crystals," which show the outline of a host crystal face with the deposited material of a different color or transparency within. The included Sun markings in diamonds, are another example. Too, what are known as "negative crystals," which are voids bounded by the growing host crystal walls, such as Enhydro stones, are another example. Enhydros are where a bubble of gas is trapped within a pocket of liquid inside the crystal. If you tilt an enhydro stone the bubble freely moves within its chamber.
Rutile Quartz:
The most common inclusion in quartz is rutile. The needle- and hair-like crystals can be thick or thin, pale gold to rich orangey brown in color and arranged in thick or sparse patterns.
The most magnificent included mineral for collectors is the rutile & hematite starburst. In the stone shown here, the shiny black hematite crystal serves as an alignment point for the rutiles which line up in parallel bundles along each face forming a six rayed star with a hematite center. Pieces such as these are sought after and highly valued.
Tourmaline Crystals:
The Tourmaline Crystals are often opaque black and are quite desirable when they occur as large isolated individual crystals. A round faceted quartz with a single black tourmaline needle captured in it (if it runs from the center of the table to the culet) will reflect in all the pavilion facets and form a perfect pattern, known as a "pinwheel."
Ferns, Trees And Snowflakes:
There are other types of inclusions which create attractive interior landscapes besides the needle-like crystals. The Pyrite with its metallic silvery-gold color can occur as random shapes, as "flowers" or "suns." Platelet-like forms of red hematite or lepidocrosite can give an overall pink or red color to a clear quartz as in the Raspberry Quartz (or also known as strawberry quartz). Some materials like the manganese oxide, form crystals known as "dendrites" (Dendritic Agates) within quartz which look like snowflakes, (Snowflake Obsidian) fern fronds or tree branches. These minerals have been mistaken to be fossil plants within the stone as the formations are so realistic.
Minerals with Metals:
Crystals of metals like gold, silver and copper included within have long been valued for their beauty. Gold-Bearing Quartz is one of the world's rarest forms of natural gold. It is found underground by hard rock miners in only a few locations in the world.
This unique mineral is mined 1,500 to 2,500 feet below the earth's surface. The natural veins of gold were formed by hydrothermal pressure deep within the earth millions of years ago. The quartz comes in various colors with pearl white being considered the most desirable and is used in our jewelry.
Purchasing:
When considering the purchase of an included mineral, the main factors to keep in mind would be the distinctiveness, rarity and beauty of the inclusion(s) within the stone. A gemolosist/mineralologist can help you ascertain a mineral, in finding the true, more centrally placed and the less obscured by extraneous inclusions, as these are the more desired stones and are the higher the value mineral.
The general factors of value for any stone such as clarity, carat weight, color and cutting perfection provide secondary value points, actually.
Inclusion Information:
Each included mineral has unique Metaphysical and Physical properties. As I usually add the properties per each stone I write about, the stones mentioned today are too numerous for this article, however. Please Google each crystal or stone that interests you for the particular properties in regards to the inclusions.
Thank you for your understanding in this manner.
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Psychic Stone Newsletter: Included Crystals, Quartz & Agates
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