Crystal Spotlight: Fluid Inclusions

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Fluid inclusions occur when liquid gets trapped inside a crystal during its formation process.

Let's clear up a misconception before we continue... "Fluid inclusion" is often used interchangeably with "Enhydro," but they are distinctly different phenomenons. "Enhydro agates are nodules, agates, or geodes with water trapped inside its cavity. Enhydros are closely related to fluid inclusions, but are composed of chalcedony (Wikipedia)." The term 'enhydro' should be used solely when referring to Chalcedony, or Agate, while 'fluid inclusions' refer to Quartz. The major difference here is that Enhydros often allow liquid to easily go in and out of the stone due to the soft and porous nature of Chalcedony. While Fluid Inclusions are trapped inside the Quartz while it is still growing inside Mother Earth, and stay inside the crystal for eternity (or until someone breaks it open)! Due to Quartz being a clear stone, you can also often see the liquid bubble inside the stone. Fluid Inclusions that move throughout the Quartz crystals are the truly coveted ones, which their hefty price tag goes to show! 

Check out these Enhydro Agates in action by Rocks for the Spirit on YouTube:

Now that the confusion is cleared up, let's get into Fluid Inclusion crystals. Like we mentioned, this occurs when liquid "bubbles" are trapped inside a Quartz crystal while it's still growing inside the Earth. This can occur if there is a fracture in the crystal that allows liquid to seep inside, and eventually gets trapped while the stone keeps forming to heal that fracture line. These liquid bubbles are essentially "trapped in time" and are said to hold powerful healing properties due to its ancient and rare origins. Similar to how ancient artifacts, pyramids of Giza, or family heirlooms passed down for generations are coveted by society, crystals with fluid inclusions give us a small glimpse into time thousands, millions, or billions of years before us. This is a rare occurrence and quite other-worldly to look at bits of liquid from bodies of water that evaporated long before our oldest traceable ancestors walked the Earth. Given its age, fluid inclusions can be seen as pure from all of the pollution that exists in our current societies and bodies of water. That said, crystals with fluid inclusions are not only beautiful, but quite powerful to work with in crystal healing. They are often used for purifying the mind of negative thoughts, habits, or people, and during rebirthing periods like Full Moons, the Winter Solstice, or beginning a new calendar year.

If you can get your hands on a Quartz with a fluid inclusion, I highly recommend adding it to your collection! Next time you visit your local crystal shop, you can ask if they have any locked away in those special glass cabinets. Moving the crystal around and watching the liquid jump back and forth between the stone's cavities is a fascinating experience like no other. 

Fluid Inclusion in Quartz tumble. Source: ColoradoGemworks on Etsy

There are tons of different types of inclusions that occur in crystals and minerals - liquid inclusions are only one of them. For example, Amber is known for possessing a wide array of different inclusions. Amber is fossilized tree resin, it does not have a crystalline structure, which allows plants, insects, or other materials to easily get trapped inside of it.

Insect inclusion in Amber by AmberTreeLab on Etsy