Diamond Education

CLARITY

Clarity measures the flawlessness of a diamond. It refers to the number and size of the tiny imperfections that occur in almost every diamond. Keep in mind that many of these imperfections are microscopic and invisible to the human eye. Imperfections in diamonds are usually referred to as blemishes and inclusions.

Internal imperfections are called inclusions while those found on the surface of a diamond are called blemishes. Both are very common in diamonds. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) developed a grading scale for diamond clarity. Diamonds with the least and smallest imperfections receive the highest clarity grades. The charts below will help you understand the Clarity grades.

Diamond Clarity Chart
Category Description
FL    IF Flawless, Internally Flawless. Flawless Diamonds reveal no flaws on the surface or internally are the rarest and most beautiful gems. Internally Flawless Diamonds reveal no inclusions and only insignificant blemishes on the surface under 10x magnification.
VVS1    VVS2 Very, Very Slightly Included. Very difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. These are excellent quality diamonds.
VS1   VS2 Very Slightly Included. Only looking through a 10X loupe can pinpoint the inclusions in this category and are nearly impossible to see with the naked eye. These are less expensive than the VVS1 or VVS2 grades.
SI1    SI2 Slightly Included. Diamonds with inclusions easily identified under 10x magnification. Finding flaws in this category with the naked eye is difficult. The gems in this category maintain their integrity, depending on the location of the inclusions.
I1    I2    I3 Included. Diamonds with inclusions which may or may not be easily seen by the naked eye. The flaws on the stones in this category will have some effect on the brilliance of your diamond.