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Clarity Grading Scale
I can see clearly now…
The clarity of
a diamond depends on how clear or clean it is — how free it
is of blemishes and inclusions, when viewed with the naked eye and
with a 10X loupe, or magnifier. Let's define our terms.
BLEMISHES:
Imperfections on the outside of a diamond
Chip:
A little piece missing, caused by wear or the cutting process. Scratch:
A line or abrasion.
Fracture:
A crack on the diamond's surface.
Polishing lines: Fine lines on the stone's surface formed during
the polishing stage.
Natural:
An unpolished part of the diamond.
Extra
facets: Additional polished surfaces that shouldn't be
there and spoil the symmetry of a diamond.
Bearding:
Very small fractures on an edge of the diamond.
INCLUSIONS:
Imperfections inside a diamond.
Carbon:
Black spots inside a stone.
Feather:
Internal cracking.
Crystal:
White spots inside a stone.
Pinpoint:
Tiny spots, smaller than a crystal.
Cloud:
A group of pinpoints, which may give the impression of a single
large inclusion.
Loupe:
(pronounced loop) a small magnifying glass used to view gemstones.
Any good jeweler will let you use one, and show you how. They should
be 10X, or 10-power magnification, and the housing around the lens
should be black so as not to distort the color of the stone. The
Federal Trade Commission requires diamond grading to be done with
a 10X magnifier, and any flaw that can't be seen under 10X magnification
is considered nonexistent.
Here are the CLARITY
GRADES OF DIAMONDS, as established by the Gemological
Institute of America (GIA):
FLAWLESS:
Free from inclusions and blemishes when viewed under 10X magnification.
Very rare and very expensive.
INTERNALLY
FLAWLESS: Free from inclusions; may have slight blemishes
when viewed under 10X magnification. Also very rare and very expensive.
VVS1
AND VVS2 (VERY, VERY SLIGHTLY INCLUDED): Has minute inclusions
or blemishes the size of a pinpoint when viewed under 10X magnification.
Rare and expensive.
VS1
AND VS2 (VERY SLIGHTLY INCLUDED): Has inclusions or blemishes
smaller than a grain of salt when viewed under 10X magnification.
No carbon, fractures or breaks. High quality.
SI1
(SLIGHTLY INCLUDED): Has inclusions or blemishes larger
than a grain of salt when viewed under 10X magnification, and these
inclusions can be carbon or fractures. Almost all SI1 diamonds are
eye-clean, which means the flaws can't be seen with the naked eye.
Good quality.
SI2
(SLIGHTLY INCLUDED): Has inclusions or blemishes larger
than a grain of salt when viewed under 10X magnification, and some
of these flaws may be visible to the naked eye. Borderline diamond.
I1
(IMPERFECT): Has inclusions and blemishes visible to
the naked eye. Commercial grade. Not my taste!
I2
(IMPERFECT): Has inclusions and blemishes visible to
the naked eye that can make as much as one-fourth of the diamond
appear cloudy and lifeless. Same as above.
I3
(IMPERFECT): Has many, many inclusions and blemishes
visible to the naked eye. Not a pretty diamond. Very little luster
or sparkle. Bottom of the barrel.
FRED'S
ADVICE: Aim for an SI1 diamond. Many people unwittingly
buy I1 and I2 stones, but if you shop carefully you can buy an
SI1 stone for the same price that most I2 stones are sold for.
by Fred Cuellar,
author of the best-selling book "How to Buy a Diamond." More questions?
Ask the Diamond Guy®
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