Diamond Clarity Guide

Light can pass unobstructed through clean diamonds, making them sparkle.

How Diamond Clarity Affects Appearance

The level of clarity in a diamond tells you how many internal and external flaws the stone has as well as how big and visible they are.

Diamonds with fewer inclusions look cleaner, and light can pass unobstructed through such stones, making them sparkle.

Diamonds that are heavily included, on the other hand, look dirty. Their inclusions stick out and detract from the appearance of the stone, especially if they block some of the light that would otherwise have entered it.

The Diamond Clarity Grading Scale

Diamond clarity is graded according to how many inclusions (internal flaws) can be found in a stone and how visible they are.

The G.I.A. (Gemological Institute of America) classifies the clarity of diamonds into the following categories (from highest to lowest):

FL – Flawless

IF – Internally Flawless

VVS – Very, Very Slightly Included (with sub-grades VVS1 and VVS2, which is the lower grade)

VS ­– Very Slightly Included (further divided into VS1 and VS2 clarity)

SI – Slightly Included (further split into SI1 and SI2 clarity)

I – Included (includes the sub-grades I1, I2 and I3)

Diamonds of the Same Clarity May Not Be Equally Clean

Since clarity grades are based on a variety of criteria that are not easily expressed as exact numbers, determining the right grade requires some judgment on the part of the appraiser.

Therefore, there is some leeway when putting a stone in a certain category.

For example, one diamond may have five visible inclusions and another might have eight, and they could both end up in the same grade.

Since clarity grading is not an exact science, there is some variation among the diamonds classified in the same category.

This is also why individual clarity grades should be viewed as mini-ranges. For example, it is entirely possible for a diamond at the very low end of the SI2 grade to look like a stone from the very high end of I1.

What Kind of Clarity Should I Be Looking For?

In order to make sure that clarity does not spoil the appearance of your diamond, you should make sure that it doesn’t have any inclusions that can be seen with the naked eye.

When looking at the stone, you shouldn’t be able to see any flaws that stand out. It doesn’t matter that much if you can see any inclusions with a microscope or loupe as you and other people won’t ordinarily be looking at the stone using magnification.

Should I Go for the Best Clarity?

The top clarity grade on the scale of the G.I.A. (Gemological Institute of America) is FL, also known as Flawless. These diamonds don’t have any inclusions that can be seen with the naked eye or even under 10x magnification.

However, Flawless stones are also extremely rare and therefore pricey. It is rarely worth it to spend so much money on such a diamond when there are lower clarity grades that are cheaper, and their inclusions are still invisible to the unaided eye. The truth is, you can find a diamond that looks as clean as an FL or IF stone but at a much lower price.

It is true that the main difference between FL/IF diamonds and lower graded stones is in the visibility of their inclusions. However, it is also true that most of these differences are visible only under a 10x loupe. In fact, in most diamonds with a clarity grade of SI1 and higher, you are unlikely to see inclusions with the naked eye.

Remember: Clarity only needs to be good enough to make your diamond look good. If clarity is bad, it will spoil the appearance of your stone. Once you get above a certain threshold, however, any further improvement in clarity doesn’t make a visible difference but costs you more money.

So, if you want to get a diamond that is both clean and affordable, you can take a look at diamonds in the clarity grades below IF.

Picking an Eye-Clean Diamond

The rule of thumb for saving money on clarity is to go for an eye-clean diamond of the lowest possible clarity grade.

“Eye clean” is a term used to describe a stone that doesn’t have inclusions visible with the naked eye when the diamond is looked at from the top, from a normal viewing distance.

What Clarity Is Good Enough?

Any clarity grade whose inclusions are not visible without magnification is a good choice. However, in order to get the most for your money, you should look for the lowest clarity grade in which inclusions cannot be seen with the naked eye.

As for how low you should go down the clarity scale, generally, most diamonds graded SI1 are eye clean. SI2 diamonds are likely to have some visible inclusions, but you may still find an eye-clean stone in this grade.

This means that a diamond graded VS2 or SI1 is a good choice; any clarity lower than SI1 has some visible inclusions. The difference between an SI1-grade diamond and a higher graded one is mainly in the visibility of the inclusions under magnification.

Once you get into the I1 grade, diamonds with non-visible inclusions are the exception, and I2 and I3 stones will certainly not be eye clean.

How To Determine Diamond Clarity

Unless you look at a diamond under 10x magnification, it would be very hard to determine the exact clarity grade of a stone.

Even if you do use a jeweler’s loupe, you would have a hard time pinpointing what level of clarity you are looking at unless you are experienced in diamond grading.

Nevertheless, you can still get a rough idea of the broader clarity range a stone falls into just by looking at it.

Here is a quick guide to how different clarity grades may look when you inspect a stone:

FL / IF / VVS Clarity: FL diamonds do not have any inclusions visible inside them, even when using a 10x loupe. The only difference between this grade and IF clarity is that IF diamonds have some blemishes on their surface, but not inside.

VVS-clarity diamonds have some tiny inclusions within, but these flaws are so small that even experienced graders have a hard time seeing them under magnification.

So, if you cannot readily discern any inclusions in a stone under 10x magnification, then it is likely that its clarity is in the FL-IF-VVS range.

VS1-VS2 / SI1 Clarity: Diamonds with clarity graded VS1, VS2, or SI1 have inclusions that can be seen under magnification but are usually invisible to the naked eye.

Occasionally, some flaws may be visible without a loupe, but these inclusions will usually be few and small, and will not be located prominently.

If you can see inclusions in a stone with a 10x loupe but not without it, then it is likely that the diamond falls into this clarity range.

SI2 Clarity: Stones in this clarity grade have inclusions that are easily seen under magnification. Often, they are also visible with the naked eye. You may find eye-clean diamonds among these stones if you take the time to sort through them, but most of them aren’t. The inclusions are more numerous compared to those in SI1 stones, but they are usually not as prominent as in I-clarity diamonds.

I1 / I2 / I3 Clarity: If a stone has inclusions clearly visible to the naked eye, and if the flaws are numerous and/or located centrally (i.e., easily visible through the center of the stone’s top surface), then the diamond’s clarity is most likely in the I1-I2-I3 range.

Keep in mind that these guidelines are only approximate.

For example, sometimes you might see a VS-clarity stone with a clearly visible inclusion or an I1 diamond that doesn’t look much more included than an SI2 one.

The best way to find out the clarity grade of a stone is to read its grading report or to have the diamond evaluated by a grading lab.

Clarity Grades Are Not Everything

An important thing to remember when examining diamonds is that not all stones within a certain clarity grade are created equal.

For example, while most diamonds in the VS2-clarity grade won’t have inclusions visible with the naked eye, occasionally, you may see a stone with a noticeable flaw.

In general, whether an inclusion will be visible without magnification depends on the color, transparency, size and location of the flaw.

Since no two diamonds are alike, you should examine each stone you are considering regardless of its formal clarity grade and see if the diamond has any visible inclusions. Don’t rely blindly on the clarity grading scale – use it only as a guideline.

What Can Be More Important Than Clarity?

A quality characteristic that can make a bigger difference than clarity is cut. The more proportional a diamond’s cut is, the better it can maximize the brilliance of the stone. An ideal cut captures as much light as possible in the diamond and reflects it back.

Another important characteristic is color. A change in its grade makes less of a difference than a variation in cut, but if a diamond is too tinted, it will look yellowish and less bright.

Does Color Affect How Clear a Diamond Looks?

Diamond color refers to the visible tint of a stone, and the hue of a white diamond does not directly affect its clarity. Color can, however, make a diamond look more or less bright.

For example, strong yellowish tints in a white diamond can make the stone seem somewhat dull, thereby making its flaws more noticeable and reinforcing the impression that the diamond is not very clean.

The yellowish tints in white diamonds do not significantly affect their clarity, but naturally colored diamonds (fancy color diamonds) can look less clear depending on the cause of their color.

Are Fancy Colored Diamonds Less Clear?

Although color and clarity are two separate diamond characteristics, when a stone has a strong color that is a result of chemical impurities, they can affect how transparent and clear the diamond looks.

This is the case with natural fancy colored diamonds. In these stones, impurities that make their crystal structure look colored can also make these diamonds look less transparent and clear.

This effect is stronger when the color is more intense, and the impression of imperfect clarity can be reinforced if the hue is unevenly distributed throughout the stone.

How to Choose Diamond Clarity Together with Color and Cut

First, make sure that the diamond you choose has no inclusions visible with the naked eye. This means that you can focus on stones with clarity graded VS2 or SI1.

You can even get a diamond graded SI2 if it will be set in a mounting that will hide its sides: Stones of this grade only have visible inclusions near the periphery, but from the top, these diamonds look clean.

Next, choose a color grade in which the diamonds don’t look visibly tinted. Usually, grades G and H are good enough, and diamonds of higher grades don’t look significantly different when seen in isolation.

If your stone is going to be set in yellow gold, you can go with a lower grade such as I, J or even K – the yellow reflections of the metal will blend with the stone’s slight tint, and it won’t be that visible.

When it comes to selecting cut, you should make sure that it has good proportions. An ideal cut will provide you with enough brilliance that can make poor color and clarity look better than they really are.

A disproportional cut, on the other hand, can make your diamond look poor even if all its other quality characteristics are fine.

The G.I.A. grades cut with the following grades: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Of course, Excellent is the best choice, and if you can afford it, it is highly recommended. If not, try to get a diamond that is rated at least Good, and avoid stones with Poor cuts.

How a Setting Can Hide Diamond Inclusions and Mask Lower Clarity

Even if you have a diamond with a visible inclusion, if you can mount the stone in a setting that will hide the flaw, your diamond will still look eye clean.

In such a case, you may find that an SI2 stone with a visible inclusion is a viable option if the flaw is only noticeable from the diamond’s side, which can be hidden by a bezel or prong when the stone is set in a ring.

Don’t discount the setting when choosing among clarity grades. By factoring it into your decision, you may be able to save some money on clarity and end up with a stone that still looks clean.

Does Higher Clarity Make a Diamond Brighter?

A diamond with a lower clarity grade is not necessarily less bright than a higher-clarity stone, and vice versa.

There are two main reasons clarity does not necessarily equal brightness. First, most diamond inclusions are very small and not visible enough to affect brightness noticeably. Second, even in stones with visible inclusions, the flaws do not take up as much space to affect significantly how light passes through the stone and diminish its brightness.

For all these reasons, top-clarity diamonds do not look much different in terms of brightness from mid- to low-clarity stones of similar color and cut.

What Affects Diamond Brightness?

In general, how bright a diamond looks is determined by how much light is allowed to enter the stone and be reflected by it. The characteristics affecting diamond brightness the most are the stone’s cut, color, and cleanliness.

Cut

Overlooked by many people, cut is probably the most important factor determining how bright and sparkly a stone looks. The reason for this is simple: The shape and proportions of a diamond affect how it bends light, how much of it will be reflected, and how much will leak out of the stone.

Well-cut diamonds reflect most of the light that falls onto them and thus appear brighter. Poorly cut stones, on the other hand, let most of the light entering them leak out without being seen, and that’s why they look dark and dull.

Cut is so important for brilliance and brightness that poorly cut stones of top clarity can look less bright than poor-clarity diamonds with a very good or excellent cut.

Color

Although color does not fundamentally affect how a diamond reflects light as much as cut does, it can still make a stone look brighter or darker. This effect depends very much on what tints a stone has and how intense they are.

Generally, the whiter a stone, the brighter it appears, and whiteness in diamonds simply refers to how colorless they are. Diamonds whose color is graded lower have stronger yellowish and brownish tints than higher-graded stones.

Cleanliness

How clean a diamond is also affects its brightness. Stones that haven’t been cleaned for some time often look dark and lifeless because the dirt accumulated on their surface stops light from entering them.

The flaws in such diamonds also become more visible because the stone’s brilliance and sparkle that can make its inclusions less noticeable are now diminished, making all imperfections stick out.