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Diamond Clarity
What Is Diamond Clarity?
The clarity grade is based on any tiny natural identifiers found within a diamond. The shape of a diamond can affect the importance of its clarity grade. While the brilliance facets patterns of round and princess-cut diamond can hide certain imperfections, step-cut shapes - such as emerald and asscher-cuts - have large, open tables. If you are searching for a step-cut diamond, we suggest looking at those with clarity grades of VS2 or higher.
Diamond Clarity Refers to the Absence of Inclusions and Blemishes
Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep in the earth. This process can result in a variety of internal characteristics called 'inclusions' and external characteristics called 'blemishes'.
Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone. While no diamond is perfectly pure, the closer it comes, the higher its value.
How Did The GIA Clarity Scale Come To Be?
Like the color scale, GIA's clarity grading system developed because jewelers were using terms that could be misinterpreted, "loupe clean". Today, even if you buy a diamond somewhere else in the world, the jeweler will most likely use terms like VVS1 or S12, even if his or her language is French or Japanese instead of English.
What causes inclusions?
Small crystals can become trapped in a diamond when it's forming. Sometimes as a crystal grows it can develop irregularities in its atomic structure.
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 under 10x magnification.
INTERNALLY FLAWLESS (IF)
No inclusions visible under 10 x magnification.
VERY, VERY SLIGHTLY INCLUDED (VVS1 AND VVS2)
Inclusions so slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification.
VERY SLIGHTLY INCLUDED (VS1 AND VS2)
Inclusions are observed with effort under 10x magnification, but can be characterized as minor.
SLIGHTLY INCLUDED (SI1 AND SI2)
Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification
INCLUDED (I1, I2 AND I3)
Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification which may affect transparency and brilliance.
Many inclusions and blemishes are too tiny to be seen by anyone other than a trained diamond grader. To the naked eye, a VS1 and an S12 diamond may look exactly the same, but these diamonds are quite different in terms of overall quality. This is why expert and accurate assessment of diamond clarity is extremely important.
Flawless. No imperfections on the surface, or inclusions within. These are the most rare of all clarity grades, and therefore extremely valuable.
Internally Flawless. No inclusions within the diamond, but may have very minor blemishes on the surface. If so, they will not be visible without magnification.
VVS1
Very Very Slightly Included 1. Likely to have minute inclusions that can only be seen under 10x magnification by an expert eye. These inclusions can only be seen through viewing the bottom of the diamond.
VVS2
Very Very Slightly Included 2. Likley to have minute inclusions that can only be seen by experts under 10x magnification. These may be visible when viewing from the top of the diamond.
VS1
Very Slightly Included 1. The untrained eye may detect inclusions within diamonds of this grade, under 10x magnification. It can take a long time to see them, however (over 10 seconds).