| Clarity Spotting
Believe it or not, clarity grading a diamond
is easier than learning your ABC’s. There are two main categories
we want to be concerned with: The diamond with inclusions1
and blemishes2 we can see with our own eyes, category I, and
those
that appear to be “eye clean,” category II. Once
we’ve
determined which category a diamond falls in, we can break it down
into sub-categories.
Category I: The Imperfects - SI2, I1,
I2, I3 (a.k.a., River Rocks, Bluff Diamonds, Commercial Grade
and Drill Bit Dodgers) While the easiest way to determine the clarity
grade of a diamond is just to ask the seller, this assumes he’s
telling you the truth. But since these four grades are the bottom
of the barrel, I’m met very few vendors who will brag about
how bad their diamonds are. The vendor is also aware that even if
you’re farsighted and they could misrepresent these dogs,
it’s not very likely your fiancé or independent appraiser
will fall into the same trap. Therefore, if a jeweler tells you
your diamond is an SI2, I1, I2 or I3; know you’ve gone as
low as you can go. These grades tend to be popular with people who
want size over quality. In pictures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9
you can see some great examples of the “bull in the china
shop” kind of damage you can expect to find in these moon
rocks.
Click on any of the images to view an enlarged image. |
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Category
II: “Eye Cleans”
A. The Investments – Flawless, Internally Flawless, VVS1,
VVS2 (a.k.a., Bentleys, Rolls, Safe Deposit Rocks)
When you look at pictures 10A, 10B, 10C and 10D, you’d swear
you’re looking at the same diamond, but you’re not!
You’re looking at four different round diamonds viewed
under 10X magnification. Which one is the Flawless, which one
is Internally
Flawless and which ones are the VVS? If all four grades look identical
under magnification to the average bear, or are indistinguishable
to gemologists without the aid of a loupe3 or microscope, then
don’t worry about it. What makes these rocks distinguishable
from the rocks in the first category is their LACK of inclusions,
not the presence of any.
Click on any of the images to view an enlarged image. |
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B. The Street Legals – VS1, VS2 - appropriately named
due to being the highest grade recommended to wear or mount into
jewelry (a.k.a., Mercedes, The Benz, The Lambs [short for Lamborghini]).
This category is my favorite for a variety of reasons; not only
are they practically microscope clean and totally “eye clean,”
they allow the purchaser to get good to exceptional quality without
sacrificing too much on size. In pictures 11A and 11B the diamonds
appear flawless, until we zoom in (11C) and easily find pinpoints
and small crystals (smaller than a grain of salt) caught in the
diamond’s lattice.
Click on any of the images to view an enlarged image. |
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C. The Slights – SI1
– named because they have slight problems but nothing that
will effect the beauty. The SI1’s are easy to grade. They
always look great to the eye, but the minute you pick up a loupe
even a novice can locate the imperfections. Because all the inclusions
are typically larger than a grain of salt but small enough to stay
under the “eye clean” radar, SI1’s become a popular
choice for maximum size but above average quality. In pictures 12A,
12B 12C and 12D we see classic crystals, feathers, abraded girdles
and pinpoints one might expect to see in an SI1.
Click on any of the images to view an enlarged image. |
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1Inclusions – imperfections
inside a diamond (carbon, feather, crystal, pinpoint, cloud)
2
Blemishes – imperfection on the outside of a diamond (chip,
scratch, fracture, polishing
lines)
3Loupe – a small magnifying glass used to view gemstones.
(All photographs were taken by
acclaimed photographer and artist Ricky Fernandez)
by Fred Cuellar,
author of the best-selling book "How to Buy a Diamond." More questions?
Ask the Diamond Guy®
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