The 4 C's of Diamond Shopping - a Brief Explanation And Chart of Clarity
The value of a diamond is determined by the four C's. Cut, color, carat weight, and clarity. The clarity of the diamond, also known as the purity, relates to what is inside the diamond. Like the grain in a piece of wood, a diamond will have growth marks inside it.
Nothing in nature is perfect and the growth marks and minor imperfections in a diamond are known as inclusions. The fewer inclusions in a diamond, the more valuable it will be.
Clarity is graded on a scale ranging from internally flawless to imperfect. The criteria is based on whether someone with a trained eye can spot the inclusions under 10X magnification. If a trained expert that knows what to look for can not see any inclusions under 10X magnification the diamond would be labeled internally flawless.
If just the slightest little dots or marks are visible under magnification the diamond would be labeled either VVS1 or VVS2, which stands for very, very small inclusions. If the inclusions are a little larger and a little easier to find under magnification, the diamond would be categorized as VS1 or VS2 which stands for very small inclusions. These are still undetectable to the naked eye.
The next category on the scale is small inclusions which are labeled as SI1, SI2, or SI3. By the time you reach SI2 a trained eye can start to detect some inclusions without the aid of magnification. At the end of the scale is the imperfect category labeled as I1, I2, or I3. Again, a good eye can detect these inclusions.
Most of the time you will not be able to detect whether a diamond has any inclusions or not. It usually takes a trained eye and magnification to detect any imperfections. The only reason that a stone with fewer inclusions is more valuable is because they are also more rare.
The number of inclusions will have very little effect on the beauty of the diamond you're wearing on your finger and should probably not be one of the major deciding factors when shopping for a diamond.
Click Here to learn how I bought a VS2 clarity diamond for $1500.00 below retail.
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