Clarity

Diamond clarity refers to the absence of inclusions & blemishes

About Clarity

Clarity of a diamond refers to the rarity and purity of the stone. Natural microscopic characteristics can be trapped within or on the diamond when forming under the earth’s crust. These surface or internal characteristics are called inclusions and blemishes. They are inspected by gemologists with 10x magnification to assign a clarity grade to each diamond.

Diamonds with lesser inclusions are more rare, thus highly valued.

Many inclusions and blemishes are too small to be seen by anyone other than a trained diamond grader. A VS1 and a SI2 diamond may look the same to the naked eye, but they are different in terms of overall quality and value. Therefore, an expert and accurate assessment of clarity is extremely important.

How important is diamond clarity?

The importance of clarity depends on the shape and size of the diamond. In cuts like emeralds and ascher-cut, the open table accentuate the clarity of the stone and make it more visible.

Similarly, in higher carat sizes, the inclusions can be more noticeable due to larger facets.

Diamond Grading Scale

The GIA Diamond Clarity Scale has 6 categories, some of which are divided, for a total of 11 specific grades.:

Flawless (FL) - No inclusions and no blemishes visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification

Internally Flawless (IF) - No inclusions and only blemishes are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification

Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) - Minute inclusions that range from extremely difficult to very difficult to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification

Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) - Minor inclusions that range from difficult to somewhat easy to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification

Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) - Noticeable inclusions that range from easy to very easy to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification

Included (I1, I2, and I3) - Obvious inclusions are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification and may affect transparency and brilliance.

Q & A

WHAT CAUSES INCLUSIONS?

When forming under the earth's crust, small crystals become trapped in a diamond. Sometimes, as the crystal grows it can develop irregularities in its atomic structure.

Q.

HOW DID CLARITY GRADE COME TO BE?

In the earlier days, jewelers were using terms that could be misinterpreted, “loupe clean”, “eye clean”, “pique”. Today, if one goes to buy a diamond anywhere in the world, the jeweller will use terms like VVS1 and SI1, no matter the local language.