Diamond Clarity
What is diamond clarity? Diamond clarity is a grade on a scale from Flawless to Included, which measures the amount and locations of inclusions in a diamond. An inclusion is an internal or external characteristic or flaw which occurs during the Earth’s natural process of diamond formation. The majority of diamonds contain inclusions that are undetectable to the unaided eye.
Very Slightly Included (VS1 - VS2)
Slightly Included (SI1 - SI2)
Included (I1 - I3)
Flawless (FL), Internally Flawless (IF)
Internally Flawless (IF) diamonds may contain external characteristics (also known as blemishes) that are extremely difficult to view at 10x magnification on the stone’s surface, if at all, whereas Flawless (FL) is the best clarity of a diamond as it does not contain any inclusions or blemishes, under the scrutiny of 10x magnification.
Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1, VVS2)
Although the name is seemingly redundant, Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1, VVS2) diamonds earn this grading because, unlike their Flawless or Internally Flawless brethren, they do contain inclusions that are so minute that they’re extremely difficult to locate under 10x magnification used by expert gemologist to determine a stones clarity.
Very Slightly Included (VS1, VS2)
Like their higher graded counterparts, VS1 and VS2 diamonds also contain minute inclusions, such as clouds, crystals, or feathers, but, unlike Very Very Slightly Included diamonds, Very Slightly Included stones’ inclusions, though miniscule are only just difficult to locate with 10x magnification, rather than being extremely difficult.
