Knowing Your Diamond's Clarity
The greater a diamond's clarity, the more brilliant, valuable and rare.
Clarity is a very personal decision. Different people have different opinions on what clarity they want to wear. Almost all diamonds have "birthmarks" or what are called in the diamond business "inclusions." Seen under a jewler’s10x-magnifying loupe, these microscopic birthmarks may look like tiny crystals, clouds, or feathers, giving your stone its own unique fingerprint. These inclusions will be marked on your diamond certificate, so that you’ll always be able to identify your stone.
Diamonds categorized as “internally flawless” reveal no such inclusions. Flawless stones are treasured for their rarity and beauty. Diamonds with very small inclusions are graded as VVS1 or VVS2. The larger the inclusion, the lower the grade, and the less rare the diamond. Some inclusions can be seen by the naked eye.
The number, color, type, size and position of surface and internal birthmarks affect a diamond's value. Major inclusions can interfere with the path of light that travels through a diamond, diminishing its brilliance and sparkle and therefore diminishing its value.
Here is the scale that the diamond industry uses to rate a diamond’s inclusions, and its corresponding value.
| I | With the naked eye you can easily see the birthmarks |
| SI3-SI1 | With the naked eye you won't see anything. With a 10 power loupe you’ll be able to see something in the stone. |
| VS2-VS1 | The only way you’ll see something in the stone is under close examination with the 10 power loupe. |
| VVS2 | Flawless. Only in laboratory conditions could any professional jeweler locate the inclusions. |
