Education

Clarity

Clarity is a term used to describe the absence or presence of flaws inside or on the surface of a diamond. In other words, the clarity of a diamond refers to a diamond's clearness or purity.

When these flaws / marks occur internally, they are called inclusions and the most common types of inclusions include Crystals, Tiny Bubbles representing small minerals that were absorbed into the diamond while it was growing, Internal Graining, Needles, Knots, Chips, Cavities, Cleavage, Feathers, and Clouds. On the contrary, when these flaws / marks occur on the surface, they are known as blemishes and the most common types of blemishes include Polish lines, Naturals, Scratches, Nicks, Pits, transparent stress lines that appear on a diamond's surface, surface graining, and extra facets, that are usually cut to remove a near-surface inclusion to raise the clarity grade of a stone. Most diamonds have these imperfections in them. Although many of these flaws are not visible to the naked eye, but under magnification, tiny featherlike shapes, crystals, bubbles and dark flecks become noticeable. These slight flaws make every diamond quite unique but they also do affect the beauty and value of the diamond.

Diamond's clarity is based on the number, size, nature, and location of imperfections on the finished stone. Diamond with higher clarity is more valuable in comparison to diamond that contains numerous inclusions because it is less brilliant due to inclusions interfering with light passing through it.

Diamond Clarity Grading Scale Table

Image	Clarity Grade Scale	Description	On Inspection through 10x magnification
	F	Flawless	Clear Stone, no inclusions or blemishes. Exceptional and beautiful diamonds.
	IF	Internally Flawless	No inclusions and only insignificant surface blemishes. Rare and beautiful diamonds.
	VVS1 – VVS2	Very, Very Slightly Included – 1 & 2	Tiny inclusions, which are extremely difficult to find, even under 10x magnifications. An excellent quality diamond.
	VS1 – VS2	Very Slightly Included – 1 & 2	Minor inclusions, which are difficult to see under 10 x magnification. These stones are less expensive than the VVS1 or VVS2 grades.
	SI1 – SI2	Slightly Included – 1 & 2	Inclusions, which are easy to see under 10 x magnification. A good diamond value.
	I1 – I2 – I3	Included – 1, 2 & 3	Inclusions, which are easy to see under 10 x magnification and sometimes, may be visible with the unaided eye. A good diamond value. Generally I3 grade is not used for jewelry purposes and mostly used in industrial applications.