A feather is the general trade term for a break in a gemstone. It often looks white and feathery.
In more detail
A feather can reflect light and flash bright as the stone turns. A fracture filling can be put into a surface-reaching feather. GIA advises caution with ultrasonic and steam cleaning for stones with feathers.
On a grading report
Drawn in red on the clarity plot of a full GIA report and named in the key to symbols. A Dossier has no plot but can name it in its list of up to four.
Related terms
- Fracture filling: Fracture filling is a clarity treatment that injects a glass-like filler into a crack to make it less visible.
- Bearded girdle: A bearded girdle has very small feathers that run from the girdle surface into the stone. They can come from the cutting process.
- Bruise: A bruise is a tiny area of impact damage with very small, root-like feathers. It usually sits at a facet junction.
- Inclusion: An inclusion is a clarity characteristic inside a diamond, or one that reaches the surface from inside.