A flaw is something inside a gemstone or on its surface that unquestionably detracts from its value. A nick or chip on the girdle of a gem, a crack or crevice rising to the surface of a gem: these are the type of imperfections that I regard as a flaw.
If a gem is badly cut and not symmetrical, technically speaking you could also class this as a flawed gem. It might not have started off life imperfectly, but through an error by a lapidarist the gem is now devalued and flawed. Likewise inexperienced lapidarists may accidentally leave grinding or polishing marks on the facet of a gem. All of the above should not be confused with inclusions, colour zoning and other marks left by Mother Nature; these are simply inbuilt stories created by Mother Nature to demonstrate the amount of work she has undertaken in creating her coloured miracles.
In Emeralds, inclusions tell the story of the gem’s turbulent upbringing. In Moldavite they are small bubbles in which gas from outer space has become trapped for millions of years. In Rutile Quartz golden inclusions are known as “Venus Hair” and add value to the gemstone, and in Russian Demantoid Garnet a horsetail shaped inclusion acts as the gemstone’s seal of authenticity.
