Diamond Clarity Explained

The Diamond 4Cs Explained in Detail Clarity

A diamond's clarity grade will refer to the lack of blemish or inclusion. The majority of stones will have some form of imperfection, simply because of the very unique nature of the diamond. Along with the carat, colour and cut of the diamond, the clarity is equally as important in defining the value of the stone. A stone with no imperfections whatsoever is a very rare diamond indeed

It is strange to imagine that those beautiful gems that we call diamonds are formed deep within the earth, compressed between strata and minerals under extremes of heat and pressure.

One might assume that they appear on the surface, exquisitely cut and polished as they do in books and fantasies. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

When hewn from the earth, they are rough, asymmetrical stones that are nothing like the diamonds that we love and cherish. Because of the history of the stones and the rigorous processes they go through to result in a polished diamond, it is easy to understand why the majority of diamonds have unique marks either on their surface or within the stone. These are called blemishes (appearing on the exterior of the stone) or inclusions, (small micro dots of carbon) that appear within the stone.

A Diamond in its natural rough form.

The GIA and other grading laboratories such as HRD Antwerp and AGS will use diamond grading standards such as the GIA International Diamond Grading System TM. to determine a diamond's clarity. This grade ranges from flawless (FL) to obvious inclusions (I3)

Grade	Grade Description	Clarity Explanation	Diamond Quality
F	Flawless	No flaws~internally or externally	Very rare ~ Most expensive
IF	Internally flawless	No internal flaws	Rare ~ Expensive
VVS1	Very, very small inclusions~Level 1	Inclusions very difficult to see under 10xmagnification	Expensive
VVS2	Very, very small inclusions~Level 2	Inclusions difficult to see under 10x magnification	Less expensive
VS	Very small inclusions	Inclusions noticeable under 10x magnification	Less expensive
VS1	Very small inclusions Level 1	Inclusions noticeable under 10x magnification	Less expensive
VS2	Very small inclusions Level 2	Inclusions noticeable under 10x magnification	Less expensive
SI	Small inclusions	Inclusions easily seen under 10x magnification	Less expensive
SI1	Small inclusions Level 1	Larger inclusions visible to naked eye ~ Diminished brilliance	Less expensive
SI2	Small inclusions Level 2	Inclusions easily seen under 10x magnification	Less expensive
LI	Large inclusions	Inclusions visible to naked eye ~ Small loss of brilliance	Less expensive
LI1	Large inclusions ~ Level 1	Larger inclusions visible to naked eye~small loss brilliance	Less expensive
LI2	Large inclusions ~ Level 2	Larger inclusions visible to naked eye ~ Brilliance dulled	Less expensive
LI3	Large inclusions ~ Level 3	Larger inclusions visible to naked eye ~ Diminished brilliance	Cheapest

Each diamond will be examined under 10x magnification, which will reveal any blemishes or inclusions that are not visible to the naked eye. There are certainly a small minority of diamonds that are completely flawless, but they are very rare. These stones will command prohibitively high prices and usually go to collectors.

Most diamonds that are graded will be included in the VS grade, meaning that it is very slightly included or SI, slightly included.

The clarity grade under the GIA Grading System will also consider the position of the inclusion and often it's size, nature and colour.

The Birth of the Clarity Scale

Like the other grades, the clarity scale came about to make sure that diamonds were being graded in exactly the same way the world over. Traders needed benchmarks where they could be certain that they or their customers would receive the diamond that they thought they were purchasing.

This is now achieved by using the standards set down by internationally recognised grading laboratories such as GIA, HRD and AGS.

Points to remember when considering clarity grading are:~

The clarity of a diamond is graded under 10x magnification under uniform viewing conditions. A preliminary grader will carefully identify any sign of diamond treatments for fractures or drilling with lasers and/or any imperfections

The grader selects a diagram from a database of hundreds of digitally stored diagrams and plots the diamonds characteristics. At this time the weight and measurement of the stone is verified. A description is made of the diamond's girdle thickness and culet. This is the moment when the stone is re-examined and double checked to ensure that the diamond has not been changed with synthetic treatments.

The stone is re-examined by a second grader who will meticulously identify the clarity and finish of the diamond and to assess whether any external diamond treatments have been used. The same grading techniques used by the original grader will be utilised and a second, independent report will be written on the clarity, polish and symmetry of the diamond.

At this stage it is likely that a gemmologist, a more experienced member of the laboratory staff will perform quality assurance tests. These tests very much depend on the diamond's quality, weight and the previous reports. A grading result will be finalised once all examiners of the diamond agree on the grade.

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