This page gathers every stone in our collection graded SI-2, a clarity designation meaning slightly included, second degree. Inclusions are readily apparent under ten-power magnification and may be visible to the unaided eye, depending on their nature, placement and the depth of the stone's colour. In coloured gemstones, clarity is always read alongside variety: what is common in one species is unusual in another, and internal features are part of a natural stone's record of formation.
The varieties represented here are Aquamarine, Paraiba Tourmaline, Rubellite Tourmaline, Sphene and Tsavorite Garnet. Tourmalines, rubellite in particular, frequently grow with fine needles, growth tubes and healed fissures, so an SI-2 grade is often simply the character of the species. Sphene's extraordinary dispersion and aquamarine's cool transparency each respond differently to internal features.
When choosing, weigh where the inclusions sit rather than how many there are: features beneath the table read more readily than those near the girdle, and strongly saturated colour can mask them. Consider durability too, and how the stone will be set and worn.
