This page gathers stones from our collection graded SI-1 — slightly included. In practical terms, this means inclusions are readily visible under 10x magnification and, depending on their nature and placement, may be discernible to the unaided eye on close inspection. Clarity is always read in the context of the species: what is unremarkable in one variety can be exceptional in another.
The varieties appearing here are Aquamarine, Rubellite Tourmaline, Paraiba Tourmaline, Spessartite Garnet and Sphene. Tourmalines — rubellite and Paraiba in particular — form in environments that commonly leave internal fractures and growth tubes, so clarity expectations are set accordingly. Spessartite frequently carries fine internal veiling, while sphene's extreme dispersion and high refractive index mean inclusions often compete with a great deal of returned light. Aquamarine, by contrast, is typically encountered clean, so an SI-1 aquamarine warrants closer study of where the inclusions sit.
When choosing, weigh three things: whether inclusions fall beneath the table or near the girdle, whether they compromise durability, and how much they mute brilliance or saturation at normal viewing distance.
