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What is Diamond Clarity and Why Is It Important?

Tuesday, March 19th

What is Diamond Clarity and Why is It Important?

If you're going diamond shopping sometime in the near future, you need to think about several things. For instance, you should be asking yourself questions about diamond clarity and why it's important. Yes, you need to think about the shape and cut as well, but the clarity of a diamond is one of the biggest determinants of its worth.

So, if you're asking yourself, "what is diamond clarity and why is it important?", you've come to the right place.

The clarity of a diamond is determined by the presence of blemishes and inclusions. Blemishes are flaws on the surface of the diamond and inclusions are flaws within. Now, let's get something straight right off the bat: just about every diamond has some flaws. This is because they are created in nature. They naturally occur in the environment under an intense amount of pressure. It's understandable that there would be a flaw or two in these stones.

What Are Inclusions?

In the technical grading terms used for diamonds, all flaws are called inclusions, whether they occur on the surface or inside. Sounds confusing, I know, but that's the just the way it works.

Blemishes, as you know, occur on the surface of the stone and include chips, scratches, and pits. Sometimes they happen when the diamond is being cut. Inclusions are often inherent in the stone and can't be removed. They include cracks, air bubbles, and the presence of other minerals.

Diamond Clarity Scale

Diamond clarity is determined on a scale from Flawless to Included 3. Let's take a look at the individual grading terms so you will know what your jeweler is talking about when you head to the store:

  • F or Flawless is the rarest of all diamonds. It describes one that has no flaws, inside or out.
  • IF or Internally Flawless refers to a diamond that has no internal inclusions.
  • VVS1-VVS2 or Slightly Included 1 or 2. These grades refer to a diamond that has tiny inclusions that are hard to see under 10-times magnification, to a greater or lesser degree.
  • VS1-VS2 or Very Slightly Included 1 or 2. Inclusions in these diamonds are very hard to see under 10-times magnification.
  • SI1-SI2 or Slightly Included 1 or 2. These grades refer to a diamond with inclusions that can be seen under 10-times magnification but they aren't visible to the naked eye.
  • I1-I3 or Included 1, 2, or 3. These grades refer to diamonds with increasingly visible inclusions under both magnification and regular viewing. These are of very poor quality.

While everyone would want a Flawless diamond, they are extremely rare. Plus, you don't need a diamond with an F grade to get one that's absolutely beautiful. The appearance of a diamond isn't affected by inclusions until you reach the "I" grades. The grading up until this point only has an effect on its value.

Now that you know what a diamond's clarity is and why it's important, you can buy one with confidence.

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Jewelry Store FAQ

You can get any jewelry you'd normally buy at a brick-and-mortar store. From watches and bracelets to custom-designed engagement rings, there's no limit to the selection you'll find when shopping online for your next piece of jewelry.
Why not? You've got the convenience of shopping anytime and from anywhere, the world's best inventory, and prices that rival what you'd get locally. Because many online jewelry stores don't have a retail presence, they save money on overhead and pass those savings along to the customer.
Some stores include free shipping - either on all orders or when you spend a minimum amount of money. Your package will likely be insured by the jeweler, so it should arrive just as safely as your other deliveries. (Just watch out for porch pirates!)
You'll usually be covered by a return policy ranging from 30-60 days. Many jewelers include a prepaid return label with your jewelry. Or, if you're buying online from a jeweler that has a location near you, you may be able to return it in-person for added peace of mind.
The sky is the limit. Whether you want an inexpensive pendant or a $20,000 diamond, you'll find it online.
Sometimes. Only a few specifically state that they'll cover lost gemstones within the first year, for example. You might want to consider a separate insurance policy if you're buying a more expensive piece of jewelry.
Yes, depending on the store you select. You'll usually see those options in a link at the bottom of the site, or on the individual product pages for each piece of jewelry you're considering (often near the price details).
Unfortunately, not all online jewelers are created equal. Some do a flawless job of delivering everything they promise and more - but others have left hundreds (if not thousands) of unhappy customers in their wake. But, it's easy to spot the jewelry stores that deserve your business: just look for an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau and plenty of positive reviews from shoppers, and you'll know it's a trustworthy option for your jewelry purchase.

Compare Jewelry Stores

Select any 2 Jewelry Stores to compare them head to head

best-jewelry-stores
  • Blue Nile
  • James Allen
  • Reeds Jewelers
  • Zales
  • JTV
  • Ross-Simons
  • Silpada
  • Helzberg Diamonds
  • Super Jeweler
  • Welry
  • Kay
  • Jared
  • Diamonds USA
  • Szul
  • Jeulia
Blue Nile vs James Allen Blue Nile vs Reeds Jewelers Blue Nile vs Zales Blue Nile vs JTV Blue Nile vs Ross-Simons Blue Nile vs Silpada Blue Nile vs Helzberg Diamonds Blue Nile vs Super Jeweler Blue Nile vs Welry Blue Nile vs Kay Blue Nile vs Jared Blue Nile vs Diamonds USA Blue Nile vs Szul Blue Nile vs Jeulia James Allen vs Reeds Jewelers James Allen vs Zales James Allen vs JTV James Allen vs Ross-Simons James Allen vs Silpada James Allen vs Helzberg Diamonds James Allen vs Super Jeweler James Allen vs Welry James Allen vs Kay James Allen vs Jared James Allen vs Diamonds USA James Allen vs Szul James Allen vs Jeulia Reeds Jewelers vs Zales Reeds Jewelers vs JTV Reeds Jewelers vs Ross-Simons Reeds Jewelers vs Silpada Reeds Jewelers vs Helzberg Diamonds Reeds Jewelers vs Super Jeweler Reeds Jewelers vs Welry Reeds Jewelers vs Kay Reeds Jewelers vs Jared Reeds Jewelers vs Diamonds USA Reeds Jewelers vs Szul Reeds Jewelers vs Jeulia Zales vs JTV Zales vs Ross-Simons Zales vs Silpada Zales vs Helzberg Diamonds Zales vs Super Jeweler Zales vs Welry Zales vs Kay Zales vs Jared Zales vs Diamonds USA Zales vs Szul Zales vs Jeulia JTV vs Ross-Simons JTV vs Silpada JTV vs Helzberg Diamonds JTV vs Super Jeweler JTV vs Welry JTV vs Kay JTV vs Jared JTV vs Diamonds USA JTV vs Szul JTV vs Jeulia Ross-Simons vs Silpada Ross-Simons vs Helzberg Diamonds Ross-Simons vs Super Jeweler Ross-Simons vs Welry Ross-Simons vs Kay Ross-Simons vs Jared Ross-Simons vs Diamonds USA Ross-Simons vs Szul Ross-Simons vs Jeulia Silpada vs Helzberg Diamonds Silpada vs Super Jeweler Silpada vs Welry Silpada vs Kay Silpada vs Jared Silpada vs Diamonds USA Silpada vs Szul Silpada vs Jeulia Helzberg Diamonds vs Super Jeweler Helzberg Diamonds vs Welry Helzberg Diamonds vs Kay Helzberg Diamonds vs Jared Helzberg Diamonds vs Diamonds USA Helzberg Diamonds vs Szul Helzberg Diamonds vs Jeulia Super Jeweler vs Welry Super Jeweler vs Kay Super Jeweler vs Jared Super Jeweler vs Diamonds USA Super Jeweler vs Szul Super Jeweler vs Jeulia Welry vs Kay Welry vs Jared Welry vs Diamonds USA Welry vs Szul Welry vs Jeulia Kay vs Jared Kay vs Diamonds USA Kay vs Szul Kay vs Jeulia Jared vs Diamonds USA Jared vs Szul Jared vs Jeulia Diamonds USA vs Szul Diamonds USA vs Jeulia Szul vs Jeulia
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