Diamond Clarity
What is Diamond Clarity?
As discussed in the diamond color guide, diamonds are famous for their transparency and purity. However, because diamonds are formed deep within the earth's mantle under intense heat and pressure, various birthmarks are often found and categorized as either inclusions (internal) or blemishes (surface). Being one of the 4Cs, the clarity is an indication of quality, rarity, and value. Diamond clarity is essentially the purity and the degree of birthmarks that are present in the stone.
The process of evaluating a diamond's clarity grade starts with a few gemologists making a thorough assessment of the quantity, size, color, position, and type of both inclusions and/or blemishes that are present within the stone under 10x magnification, before determining how the clarity characteristics found affect look of the stone in question. After, the clarity characteristics are drawn on a "diamond plot" before being compared with master stones in many performance metrics to help the gemologists determine the exact clarity grade of the gemstone. The less intrusive the birthmarks, the higher the clarity grade according to the GIA Clarity Grade.
Convention Confusion
Gemological laboratories and people in the trade alike universally use the same clarity grading scale even in spite of cultural and language differences. The terms VVS, VS, SI, etc. was first made popular by the GIA in an attempt to rate diamond clarity better. On the flipside, the previous convention used ambiguous language like eye-clean, loupe-clean, piqué, etc. where even loupe-clean does not necessarily mean anything considering the loupe to rate diamond clarity with was not yet standardized.
Diamond Clarity Rating
Golden Eiffel focuses on offering diamonds rated from FL to VS clarity rating, with special cases of some SI clarity diamonds upon request. This is done to ensure we carry only the best diamonds that is of value in terms of clarity, rarity, and luster. The astonishing splendor on top of the rarity of diamonds of VVS or better clarity lends us the opportunity of providing the opportunity of owning top-of-the-line diamond jewelry, while VS and some SI graded diamonds are famed for their bang-for-buck.
Flawless and Internally Flawless Diamonds
When looking at diamonds of similar clarity grade like FL and IF diamonds, the difference can be exceedingly indiscernible even to the most seasoned jewelers. However, the subtle differences of clarity suggests the difference in quality, rarity, and price, as less than 1% of all diamonds are of FL clarity.
Diamonds that score FL and IF on the clarity scale is considered to be colorless as distinctions between them cannot be consistently perceived under 10x magnification. Few experts can only tell the difference between the two very rarely when IF diamonds have perceptible blemishes under a loupe. These diamonds are priced the highest among the various clarity grades, but relevant price difference still remains between the two within.
VVS Diamonds
Diamonds of VVS1 and VVS2 clarities are often grouped as VVS diamonds. This category of diamonds is known for its excellent purity, naturally resulting in exceptional luster. As such, diamonds in this clarity grade are sought after by many pursuing quality jewelry.
VVS1 diamonds are usually spotless seeing that a lot of them have inclusions or blemishes so small they are unnoticeable under a loupe. VVS2 diamonds however, usually have a few very small birthmarks that would be noticeable under magnification to an expert. In spite of this, both VVS1 and VVS2 diamonds will not have inclusions that can be observed with the naked eye.
VS Diamonds
VS1 and VS2 diamonds are both considered in the VS diamonds category. VS diamonds are known to be a combination between purity and value for money, while still exhibiting superior luster. These properties help shoot VS to be a popular choice.
VS diamonds' inclusions and/or blemishes would most likely be visible under magnification to a skilled gemologist but are defined as insignificant. Virtually all VS1 diamonds do not have any noticeable birthmarks when examined with a naked eye, but few VS2 diamonds might have small birthmarks palpable upon careful inspection.
SI Diamonds
The group of Slightly Included (SI) diamonds consists of SI1 and SI2 diamonds. Almost all SI graded diamonds have inclusions that are easily apparent when viewed under magnification. A typical SI diamond would have more minor inclusions compared to a VS2, but not a single, focused inclusion. As a result, a lot of SI1 diamonds are eye clean but SI2 diamonds on the other hand usually have visible inclusions even to the naked eye.
Due to the nature of SI diamonds, there is a not insignificant difference in price between VS and SI diamonds. Therefore, SI diamonds is beloved by those who are concerned about their budget, especially because the price difference is even more noteworthy in higher colored diamonds. Nevertheless, Golden Eiffel highly suggests to either ask our diamond experts on their opinion regarding certain SI diamonds or that customers view SI diamonds in person before making a purchase.
I Diamonds
I stands for Included in the diamond clarity dictionary, which is the lowest clarity grading possible for diamonds used on jewelry. Included diamonds' inclusions are very obvious under 10x magnification. This leads to the inclusions being visible to the naked eye on all I diamonds unless they are very small in size. Moreover, the sheer amount of inclusions found in an I clarity diamond affects the transparency and luster substantially, which in turn is reflected in a much lower price point when compared to any other groups of diamond clarity mentioned above.
Diamond Clarity Scale
FL Flawless
IF Internally Flawless
VVS1 Very Very Slightly Included
VVS2
VS1 Very Slightly Included
VS2
SI1 Slightly Included
SI2
I1 Included
I2
I3
Spotless
When looking for the perfect balance between clarity and other factors within a diamond, know that virtually no diamond is absolutely pure. Flawless diamonds come close to complete purity, but some birthmarks might still be observed that are not visible under 10x magnification. Nevertheless, a higher clarity grade generally indicates a purer and clearer diamond with superior luster. Although clarity grade affects the value of diamonds significantly, consider that most inclusions and blemishes are unnoticeable to the naked eye.
Types of Inclusions
Before discussing types of inclusions in a diamond, it is crucial to know how diamonds come to exist in nature. Diamonds are formed from carbon crystals deep beneath the earth's surface, where they would be subject to intense heat and pressure. This process would often lead to birthmarks or imperfections as the result of crystals accidentally stuck inside diamonds called inclusions.
External imperfections, referred to as blemishes, usually arise during the process of cutting, polishing, mounting, or wearing the diamond rather than the formation of the diamonds themselves.
Inclusions
Inclusions are internal birthmarks that come to be during the formation of a diamond.
Pinpoint: A tiny crystal that looks like a dot under 10x magnification.
Cloud: A group of tiny pinpoints that looks like a cloud under magnification.
Needle: A thin crystal in the form of a line.
Feather: A small breakage that looks white and feather-like.
Crystal: A crystal of another mineral inside a diamond.
Knot: A crystal that extends to the surface of a diamond.
Cavity: An opening as the result of a knot's crystal falling off.
Graining: Lines or curves that could look transparent, whitish, or reflective.
Blemishes
Blemishes are external imperfections that come after the formation of a diamond.
Chip: A small opening on a diamond's surface. Usually happens around the girdle or culet area.
Natural: A portion of the original exterior of the rough diamond that is kept after cutting and polishing.
Indented Natural: A bigger natural that is set in a diamond's surface.
Bruise: A tiny fracture on the surface of a diamond usually caused by external blows.
Graining: Lines or curves that could look transparent, whitish, or reflective.
Tips On Clarity
With what seems like an infinite number of options between a diamond's cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, selecting the right diamond can be intimidating. An excellent choice for you would be one that has all the characteristics you prioritize while fitting your budget. Some tips when choosing clarity grade: look to maximize your budget by determining the lowest clarity grade you prefer as a starting point, any eye clean diamond is of excellent clarity, and visit our showroom to view our diamonds of different qualities to compare!
How Carat Size Influence Diamond Clarity
As is the case with diamond color, carat size has a drastic impact on diamond clarity. Because diamond clarity is graded while taking into account the size of the diamond and carat is the general measure of how large a diamond is, the size of the birthmarks observed in vacuum will also be bigger and hence more noticeable the larger the stone. the bigger birthmarks Consequently, an 0.50 carat diamond graded as SI2 would be eye-clean, while a 5 carat diamond graded as SI2 would show some inclusions even to the unaided eye.