Diamond clarity buying guide
Updated: Mar 12, 2023
What is diamond clarity?
Clarity refers to the absence of any inclusions or blemishes in a diamond. Inclusions are internal characteristics such as crystals or feathers, while blemishes are external characteristics such as indents or chips. A diamond with fewer inclusions and blemishes is considered to be higher quality and is more desirable, but not necessarily the best choice for you. Unlike colour, clarity isn’t a visual aspect of a diamond, usually! As long as a diamond is identified as being “eye clean”, there isn’t really a visual difference between higher or lower quality diamonds. The GIA Clarity Scale contains 11 grades, with most diamonds falling into the VS (very slightly included) or SI (slightly included) categories. In determining a clarity grade, the GIA system considers the size, nature, position, colour or relief, and quantity of clarity characteristics visible under 10× magnification.
Flawless (FL) - No inclusions or blemishes are visible to a skilled grader using 10× magnification
Internally Flawless (IF) - No inclusions and only blemishes are visible to a skilled grader using 10× magnification
Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) - Inclusions are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10× magnification
Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) - Inclusions are minor and range from difficult to somewhat easy for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification
Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) - Inclusions are noticeable to a skilled grader under 10x magnification
Included (I1, I2, and I3) - Inclusions are obvious under 10× magnification and may affect transparency and brilliance
(Gemological Institute of America)
Practical explanation of diamond clarity
Although clarity refers to how clear or “clean” the diamond is, that’s not how they are graded; you could have an SI2 that is 100% eye clean, and a VS2 that isn’t eye clean. Think of the clarity grade being given as the volume of the inclusions, but the position of them and the size of them individually will determine if the stone is eye clean. Once you get up into the higher grades they will always be eye clean, and only a small percentage of the lower grades will be clean - an expert will be able to find these for you. See the below example of two SI1 diamonds. One is what I’d consider a perfect SI1 diamond, 100% eye clean, you wouldn't be able to see any of these to the naked eye in reality - a good buy. The other is a bad SI1, one big solid black inclusion right in the centre - avoid.
What is the best diamond clarity for me? Diamond buying tips:
It really comes down to personal preference. You could have a VVS1 and an SI1 clarity diamond in front of you and wouldn’t be able to tell the difference as long as the SI1 diamond is 100% eye clean (meaning it has a nice spread of inclusions, no individually large inclusions that can be spotted by the naked eye) and has excellent lustre (no light scattering defects that can include milkiness and haziness). To ensure this, you will just need to get your jeweller to confirm or inspect the stone yourself and ensure you’re happy with it. Buying a slightly lower clarity diamond can save you a lot of cash, potentially thousands of dollars depending on what you are buying. This can free up capital to be spent in other areas - get a slightly bigger diamond, higher colour diamond or just keep the change and spend it on something nice like the proposal! My general suggestion for value for money would be a 100% eye clean VS2 or SI1, a small percentage of SI2 or lower diamonds are also 100% clean.
