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Clarity
Most diamonds have some identifying characteristics or inclusions called ‘flaws’ on or within them. Flaws are usually inherent properties of the mother stone that occur due to the fantastic amount of pressure during its formation. A few flaws may however result from the harsh conditions during the cutting process.
A diamond’s clarity is determined by the visibility, number and size of blemishes it contains. The lesser the number of inclusions, the clearer and more brilliant the diamond, and therefore more highly prized. Diamonds with little or no flaws are highly valued not just for their beauty but also because they are extremely rare.
There are various types of flaws that occur in a diamond.
Pinpoints: Very small white dot on surface – easily the most common flaw. Carbons: Very small black dot on surface – slightly less common than pinpoints. Feathers: Small cracks looking like cracks in glass. Small feathers are harmless, but large feathers can grow as the diamond ages. Clouds: Hazy internal patches made up of miniscule crystals. Crystal Growths: Crystalline growths inside a diamond, looking like a diamond in a diamond. A diamond’s clarity is graded under 10X loupe (a strong jewelry magnifying glass) magnification into various clarity grades: –
FL: Completely flawless. IF: Internally flawless; further polishing can remove external flaws which are present in the stone. VVS1 - VVS2: Very Very Slightly included. Flaws can only be detected with a 10X microscope by an expert. If a flaw is visible from the top of the diamond, it is a VVS2. If flaws can only be detected when viewing from the bottom, then it is a VVS1 VS1 - VS2: Very Slightly included. Flaws are visible with a 10X microscope, but it takes a long time (more than about 10 seconds) to see them. SI1 - SI2: Slightly included. Flaws are visible with a 10X microscope I1 - I3: Included. You can see flaws with the naked eye. I2-I3 diamonds are best avoided.
To many people, clarity is the least important of the 4 Cs when purchasing their diamonds. The reason is very simple. The recipient or her friends are highly unlikely to pull out a 10X microscope to examine the flaws on the diamond! For grades IF through SI, a diamond's clarity grade has an impact on the diamond's value due to the rarity factor, not on the unmagnified diamond's beauty.
A diamond can have flaws and still look stunning. Diamonds with VVS and VS grades are excellent choices for both value and appearance. More affordable (and still exquisite) are diamonds in the SI1 and SI2 grades which gemologists call "eye-clean" - diamonds with no flaws visible to the naked eye. If you still have reservations, you can opt for diamonds with clarity grades of VS2 and higher to ensure a truly eye clean diamond.
A word of caution here: if you're buying an emerald cut (or any other step cut) diamond, it is safer to buy a diamond with clarity greater than SI1 because clarity flaws are more easily visible in step cuts.
Unfortunately, clarity is very difficult to judge accurately by an inexperienced consumer. Detecting flaws needs a lot of practice. Breslauer & Warren will however spend the time you need to get comfortable with the clarity of your stone.
Apart from the traditional Four Cs of a diamond, there is a modern-day “Fifth C” – which stands for CERTIFICATION.Please Click Here to Continue onto Certificate.
Still have questions about Diamond Clarity? Call us at (403) 252-9048 for more help.