What is Diamond Clarity and Why Is It Important?

Monday, October 14th

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.