Clarity Grades
Below are some simplified definitions of the various clarity grades set by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). For a comparison with other grading systems used in other countries, go to the clarity comparison chart.
Clarity grade Loupe clean
Clarity grade VVS and lower
1 Not discernible or discernible only with great difficulty with a 10 x loupe ...
CLARITY GRADE - One of the four value factors of a diamond. Diamonds are ranked on a scale from flawless (no inclusions visible under 10x magnification) to included (eye visible inclusions).
Clarity Grade: The assessment of inclusions (internal characteristics) and blemishes (external characteristics) visible under 10x magnifiers.
Clarity Characteristics: The description of any internal and/or external characteristics, if present.
Clarity Grade - The relative position of a diamond on a flawless-to-imperfect scale.
Clarity grade: The relative position of a diamond on a flawless-to-imperfect scale. The most common today is the scale used by the GIA.
clarity grade The position of a diamond's clarity grade falls on a GIA scale that ranges from flawless down to I3. The lack of or amount of inclusions and blemishes, along with size and location, designates the clarity grade.
Clarity Grade Scale
Description
On Inspection through 10x magnification ...
What Clarity Grade Should I Choose?
Zoara recommends that you work within your budget to select a diamond with the least amount of inclusions and blemishes, qualities which will negatively impact the value and durability of your diamond.
Which Clarity Grade Should I Choose?
While Flawless diamonds are the rarest, a diamond does not have to be flawless to be stunning.
Diamond Clarity Grade Inflation
A fairly common practice in the jewelry trade is grade-inflation or "grade bumping.
Diamond Clarity Grades
For a Diamond to be considered truly Flawless, both the Internal and External of the Diamond has to be free of Inclusions and Blemishes under a 10x powered microscope.
Clarity grade for diamonds, between VVS and SI.
VVS, V.V.S., Very Very Slight Inclusions, VVS1, VVS2
Clarity grade for diamonds, just below Internally Flawless (I.F.) ...
Clarity grades are largely determined by the collective visual appearance that a stone's inclusions exhibit in relationship to the size and shape of the stone.
CLARITY GRADE A category used to describe the amount or absence of inclusions within a Diamond or other gemstone. The G.I.A. Diamond clarity grading scale consists of eleven clarity grades.
Clarity grades use the letters V, S and I. They stand for Very, Small, and Inclusion. Progressing from Flawless, the grades are VVSI1, (Very, Very Small Inclusions One,) VVSI2, VSI1, VSI2, SI1 then SI2.
Clarity grades of I1, I2 and I3 awarded to diamonds with medium and large inclusions visible to the naked eye.
International Diamond Council (IDC)
Formulated by the WFDB, IDMA and CIBJO in 1979 to create universal rules for diamond trade.
The clarity grade scale by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is the accepted norm globally. The gradings are:
FL - IF stands for Flawless and Internally Flawless.
A diamond clarity grade is a measure of how free the diamond is from internal inclusions (imperfections), or external blemishes (marks of various kinds). Diamonds which have no inclusions or blemishes are incredibly rare in nature.
SI3 A clarity grade between SI2 and P1 (I1), not recognised as yet by the GIA, but in use by EGL and Rapaport, plus most of the wholesale diamond trade.
The highest clarity grade is FL or FI , termed for diamonds categorized as flawless, although this term only applies to flaws than can be seen under 10 x magnifications.
Clarity grade
Carat weight
Cut quality (Note: not all reports grade cut)
An evaluation of the diamond's symmetry and polish
It also may comment on the diamond's fluorescence, girdle and culet, which also affect its value ...
For diamonds with clarity grades of I1 or lower, even a polish grade of Fair is acceptable, since these diamonds already possess internal inclusions that are visible to the naked eye, making any polish markings less relevant.
Tip: To check the clarity grade in the SI2 and lower grade and to avoid being bothered by reflection, which tends to mask imperfections. Look at the stone with the magnifying lens through the pavilion, table down on a sheet of white paper.
Color ...
Our next category, clarity grades require careful consideration when shopping for a diamond. Clarity grades refer to the number, position and size of inclusions which interrupt the free flow of light in a faceted diamond.
There is no way a high color or clarity grade can offset the visual results caused by poor cutting. But a well cut diamond with less than average clarity and color can be a dazzling spectacle of light and fire.
This "corrected weight" is then multiplied by a per carat base price that is based solely on the "corrected weight", color and clarity grades.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but drilling this type of hole into a diamond can actually raise its clarity grade.
A notable exception to the way in which gems are clarity graded would be in the case of those gems whose visible inclusions create its value, rarity, or beauty. In that case, only the surrounding gem material is clarity graded.
The clarity grade determined by GIA was VS1 and the gem has the potential of being internally flawless.
The fact that the facets are so large makes the clarity grade more obvious. This means a cushion cut diamond should have a better clarity grade to be the most attractive to customers.
SI1 & SI2 (Slightly included) - GIA clarity grade state that this is a diamond with inclusions that are easily recognized under 10x magnification. Stone should be viewed on a white background. Look at the stone from the bottom (pavilion).
The SI3 diamond clarity grade was created because many in the diamond industry felt that there was too wide a gap between SI2 and SI1.
The GIA certified the clarity grade as VS1with superior polish and the precious stone posses a flawless interior. The dimension of the gem measures 29.75 x 19.88 x 10.29mm. The Dresden Green Diamond is exhibited at Albertinium Museum in Dresden.
In terms of Tanzanite, a top stone must be VVS. Any lesser clarity grade will affect the value downwards and denotes a lower grade stone.
MORE TANZANITE INFORMATION
The 4 C's of Tanzanite ...
Almost all diamonds have tiny imperfections. Diamonds with few or no imperfections receive the highest clarity grades.
more
The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance. Put simply, the better a diamond is cut, the more sparkle it will have.
more ...
The size, nature, location and amount of inclusions determine a stone's clarity grade and affect its cost. Clarity is determined using 10X magnification. By definition, if something is not visible at 10X, it does not effect the clarity.
The following is the GIA clarity scale, along with corresponding definitions for different clarity grades, which is very commonly used in the United States:
DIAMOND CLARITY SCALE
FL ...
The diamond certificate records all the relevant information pertaining to the diamond, including carat weight, color grade, clarity grade, measurements and physical properties as well as plotting diagrams.
E.G.L - History ...
Quality - The quality elements include Carat Weight, Size, symmetry and proportions, Clarity Grade, Color Grade and Fluorescence.
Diamond Quality
Red Diamonds ...
The size, number, position, nature, and color or relief of characteristics determine the clarity grade. Very few diamonds are flawless, that is, show no inclusions or blemishes when examined by a skilled grader under 10X magnification.
Some inclusions are a detriment to a diamond or gemstone's value, such as the imperfect clarity grade in diamonds, but the presence of a horsetail inclusion, for example, adds to the value of a demantoid garnet.
The following scale, developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and commonly used in the United States, contains definitions for different clarity grades.
Clarity
The stone's relative position on the flawless to imperfect scale. Clarity characteristics are classified as inclusions (internal) or blemishes (external). The size, number, position, nature, and colour determine the clarity grade.
A group of a number of extremely tiny white inclusions which gives a 'cloudy' or 'milky' appearance under 10X magnification. These clouds cannot be seen with the naked eye and generally does not significantly impact a gemstone's clarity grade.
GIA uses 11 clarity grades ranging from "Flawless, VVS (Very, Very, Small), VS (Very Small), SI (Slightly Included), to I (Included). Generally clarity characteristics cannot be seen to the unaided eye until reaching the lower SI to I grades.
Clarity grading evaluates the effects of blemishes (external flaws) and inclusions (internal characteristics). Factors such as size, number, location, type, and contrast all modify the clarity grade of a gemstone.
There are many different types of inclusions in colored stones as well. If the same clarity grading system were in place for colored stones as it is for diamonds, there would almost never be high-clarity graded colored gemstones.
Inclusions can either be visible with the naked eye (usually SI-3 clarity and below) or visible only under magnification. Fewer inclusions mean a finer clarity grade, increased rarity, and increased value.
The following table will explain the clarity grades used by the GIA. Also included is an example of approximate loose-diamond pricing based on an H-color, 1-carat diamond which illustrates the extremes in value simply based on clarity.
rough diamond's surface which has been left on the cut diamond; surface graining, transparent stress lines that appear on a diamond's surface; and extra facets, that are usually cut to remove a near-surface inclusion and raise the clarity grade of a ...
Then, evaluating the size, location, nature, number, and color of all the inclusions and blemishes, a clarity grade from 0-10 is assigned.
 See also: Clarity, Diamond, Cut, Stone, Color
  
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