| What does Clarity mean? | | | | transparency and brilliance. |
| When you are shopping for a diamond | | | | It is the combination of the inclusions and the |
| engagement ring, a diamond pendant, diamond | | | | blemishes along with their size, their number, their |
| earrings, or any piece of diamond jewelry; one | | | | position, their nature, and their color that will |
| important factor is the "Clarity" of the diamonds | | | | determine a diamond's clarity. There are a lot of |
| that you choose. Clarity is one of the 4Cs that | | | | variables involved in making a diamond a certain |
| are used in setting the price of diamonds. The | | | | clarity... it is because diamonds are kind of like |
| definition of clarity is "the quality or state of being | | | | snowflakes, where each one is different. |
| clear". Having a diamond without anything inside of | | | | A bit of history about the Clarity system. |
| it is extremely rare, especially in larger diamonds. | | | | Currently we have a diamond clarity grading |
| Because of this rarity factor, as a diamond | | | | system that everyone understands and has |
| becomes "cleaner" it also becomes more | | | | worked well for many years... it wasn't always this |
| expensive. | | | | way. Years ago, if someone was describing the |
| Of all the diamonds that are mined every year, | | | | clarity of a diamond and they said that it was a |
| only about 20% are "clean enough" to be used in | | | | "clean", a "piqué", or a "loupe clean" |
| diamond jewelry with the other 80% of the | | | | diamond, would you know what they meant? |
| diamonds being used for industrial purposes. So if | | | | Richard T. Liddicoat of the Gemological Institute of |
| you have a diamond with the highest possible | | | | America introduced the current system in 1953 |
| clarity grade then it really is one in a million, | | | | and it was immediately adopted as the universal |
| making it even that much more special! | | | | system to classify the clarity of a diamond. The |
| What makes up the Clarity of a diamond? | | | | eleven different clarity grades communicate the |
| The two factors that will determine a diamond's | | | | clarity quality of a diamond regardless of the |
| clarity are the things that are on the outside, | | | | geographic location or the language of the |
| these are called blemishes, and the stuff on the | | | | consumer. |
| inside of the diamond, these are called inclusions. A | | | | Along with the definition of these eleven clarity |
| diamond will almost always have some other | | | | grades, GIA also states that the clarity grading be |
| things that were caught up inside of it as it was | | | | done by a trained person using a controlled |
| growing below the surface of the earth. Because | | | | "darkfield" lighting environment, and a 10X |
| diamonds are on average 3.3 billions years old, | | | | magnification corrected for spherical and |
| they have grown very slowly. As they grew, the | | | | chromatic aberration. Wow! that sounds pretty |
| diamond encountered other materials in their | | | | technical! however it's relatively easy to |
| neighborhood where they were formed. The | | | | understand this system. |
| process of having something "included" inside of a | | | | How will you be able to know the Clarity of a |
| diamond crystal took hundreds, thousands, or | | | | diamond? |
| millions of years to happen. So when you see | | | | You, a person who is not fully trained in this |
| inclusions inside of a diamond it is like looking back | | | | system, probably might not be able to accurately |
| in time over millions or even billions of years. | | | | determine the clarity grade of a diamond. A |
| Diamonds most commonly have other diamonds | | | | Gemologist who has been trained as to all the |
| captured inside of them... that's pretty cool, you | | | | variables involved will be able to determine the |
| get more than one diamond with your purchase! | | | | clarity grade and they will also be able to show |
| Common inclusions are as follows- | | | | you why a diamond is a certain clarity. |
| * Clouds | | | | The best way to be assured of the clarity of a |
| * Feathers | | | | diamond will be to have a diamond grading report |
| * Included crystals or minerals | | | | issued by a credible gemological laboratory. The |
| * Cavities | | | | best reports will be from GIA, AGSL, or GCAL. |
| * Cleavage | | | | These nationally known and well respected labs do |
| * Bearding | | | | use a number of graders who must agree on all |
| * Internal graining | | | | of the qualities of the diamond before a report is |
| * Needles | | | | issued. |
| * Twinning wisps | | | | What is the best Diamond Clarity for me? |
| Blemishes are the things on the outside of the | | | | The price of diamonds will change, go up or go |
| diamond. Most of these are a result of the | | | | down, as the clarity moves higher or lower. For |
| diamond cutting process and could be removed | | | | diamonds in the most common color, cut, and |
| by a diamond cutter. These are not such serious | | | | weight range, as a general rule, look for about a |
| items and usually don't play a major part in | | | | 15 to 20% change in pricing for each change in |
| determining the clarity grade of a diamond. | | | | clarity. A diamond with a clarity grade of FL |
| Common blemishes are as follows- | | | | (Flawless) is no more beautiful than a diamond |
| * Polish lines | | | | with a clarity grade of SI1 (Slightly Included 1) but |
| * External Graining | | | | a FL clarity can be more than twice the price of a |
| * Naturals | | | | SI1 diamond. |
| * Knots | | | | From the FL to the SI1 clarity grades, any |
| * Scratches | | | | inclusions and/or blemishes are only visible when |
| * Nicks | | | | you look at them using 10X magnification. I don't |
| * Pits | | | | know of anyone who walks around with a 10X |
| * Chips | | | | magnifier in their pocket in order to look at |
| * Fracture | | | | people's diamonds... sorry, let me correct that, I |
| * Extra facets | | | | don't know of anyone except for jewelers and |
| * Cavity | | | | Gemologists (including myself) that walk around |
| The clarity grades are as follows- | | | | with a 10X magnifier in their pocket. |
| FL (Flawless)- No inclusions or blemishes of any | | | | You will need to see for yourself what these |
| sort under 10x magnification when observed by | | | | different clarity grades actually look like. I know |
| an experienced grader. | | | | many people who have looked at the clarity |
| IF (Internally Flawless)- Has no inclusions when | | | | grading chart and see that the VVS2 or VS1 are |
| examined by an experienced grader using 10x | | | | "in the middle" of the chart so they think it is |
| magnification, but will still have some minor | | | | what they would like to consider when buying a |
| blemishes. | | | | diamond. |
| VVS1 and VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included)- | | | | There are only a few diamonds that can fit into |
| Contains minute inclusions that are difficult even | | | | the nearly impossible FL and IF grades and just a |
| for experienced graders to see under 10x | | | | few more diamonds that are able to fit into the |
| magnification. | | | | extremely tight VVS1 and VVS2 grades... a single |
| VS1 and VS2 (Very Slightly Included)- Contains | | | | tiny, microscopic, pinpoint inclusion will easily move |
| minute inclusions such as small crystals, clouds or | | | | a diamond out of these grades. As you move |
| feathers, when observed with effort under 10x | | | | down into the VS, SI, and I grades it widens out |
| magnification. | | | | and many move diamonds will fit into these |
| SI1 and SI2 (Slightly Included)- Contains inclusions | | | | grades. SI1 is more "in the middle" than either |
| (clouds, included crystals, knots, cavities, and | | | | VVS2 or VS1. |
| feathers) that are noticeable to an experienced | | | | Find a good Gemologist to teach you or do some |
| grader under 10x magnification. | | | | research online about diamond clarity grades, it's |
| I1, I2, I3 (Included)- Contains inclusions (possibly | | | | really not too complicated. When you buy larger |
| large feathers or large included crystals) that are | | | | diamonds, make sure they come along with a |
| obvious under 10x magnification and may affect | | | | diamond grading report that you trust. |