Sapphire Clarity Grading

Natural gemstones contain unique birthmarks called “inclusions” (internal) and “blemishes” (external). Even a natural diamond that is flawless under 10x magnification would have inclusions that are visible under 20x magnification. These could be silk, fractures, feathers or cavities and so on. Inclusions are important to identify gemstone variety, various treatment methods and to differentiate them from immitants. Inclusion free "sapphires" can very well be synthetic, glass or other type of gemstones imitating a sapphire. At Deliqa Gems, we aim to carry sapphires with identifiable inclusions. 

Unlike colourless diamonds, clarity difference does not always devalue a coloured gemstone. Coloured gemstones including sapphires do not have an internationally recognised clarity grading system. GIA (Gemological Institute of America) divides coloured gemstones into three types based on the relative tendency of birthmarks. Corundum (Sapphires) falls under Type II. Premium quality Type II stones have inclusions that can be seen under 10x magnification or at close inspection.

Deliqa Gems sapphires are graded at eye level under natural sunlight.

Eye Clean		Eye clean, but not necessarily under 10x magnification or very close inspection.
Very, Very Slight Inclusions		Very, very small inclusions can be seen mostly from a side angle.
Very Slight Inclusions		Inclusions are visible.
Slight Inclusions		Inclusions are easy to see.
Apparent Inclusions		Inclusions are apparent.

 
Please note our independent laboratory certification by GIC list type of inclusions visible under magnification that were used in identifying the type of gemstone (i.e. corundum: sapphire or ruby) and its treatments. Fingerprint type, feather type , needle like, silk type and crystal inclusions are to name a few. These inclusions are not always visible to the naked eye. Inclusions that are not useful in gemstone identification are not listed such as surface marks.

Surface marks are those that are left behind from rough sapphire crystal particularly when faceting rare, valuable sapphire colours from Sri Lanka or Madagascar. These marks are left behind to preserve the gemstone crystal and its colour while presenting a beautiful gemstone instead of polishing away to remove every single mark, creating significant wastage of otherwise a beautiful gemstone. These types of marks are often seen along the girdle line or closer to the girdle edge or on the pavilion of the sapphire, with minimal visibility to the eye once set in jewellery. This is the talent of our experienced gem cutters.

At Deliqa Gems, we carry select fine quality natural sapphires. We do not carry sapphires that contain inclusions which affect the durability of the gemstone. 

We encourage our customers to appreciate unique features of beautiful natural gemstones.