Inclusion (mineral)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding
citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
(January 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Dark inclusions of aegerine in light-green apatite

Sketch showing different shapes of inclusions

In mineralogy, an inclusion is any material that is trapped inside a mineral during
its formation.

In gemology, 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.

Contents
1 Mineralogy
2 Gemology
3 Metallurgy
4 References
Mineralogy
Inclusions are usually other minerals or rocks, but may also be water, gas or
petroleum. Liquid or vapor inclusions are known as fluid inclusions. In the case of
amber it is possible to find insects and plants as inclusions.

The analysis of atmospheric gas bubbles as inclusions in ice cores is an important

tool in the study of climate change.

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

An insect encased in amber, has gas bubbles protruding from its thorax and head.

The term three phase relates to the three phases of matter, solid, liquid, and gas.
This is a three phase inclusion in rock crystal quartz. The solid is a black
material that is of bituminous origin. The liquid encased is petroleum, and the gas
bubble is methane.
Inclusions are one of the most important factors when it comes to gem valuation. In
many gemstones, such as diamonds, 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, such as amethyst, emerald, and sapphire, 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, garnet and spinel.
Type III colored gems include those that almost always have inclusions. Gems in
this category include emerald and tourmaline.

Clear gemstone with metallic inclusion.

Peridot with milky inclusion.

Natural ruby with inclusions.

Metallurgy
The term "inclusion" is also used in the context of metallurgy and metals
processing. During the melt stage of processing hard 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.

References
Categories: MineralogyPetrologyGemology
Navigation menu
Not logged inTalkContributionsCreate accountLog inArticleTalkReadEditView
historySearch
Search Wikipedia
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
???????
Deutsch
Espa�ol
?????
Fran�ais
Italiano
Portugu�s
???????
Ti?ng Vi?t
9 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 13 March 2017, at 01:09 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;
additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and
Privacy Policy. Wikipedia� is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policyAbout WikipediaDisclaimersContact WikipediaDevelopersCookie
statementMobile viewWikimedia Foundation Powered by MediaWiki