{"id":59234,"date":"2022-06-08T23:10:17","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T23:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ringspo.com\/uk\/?page_id=59234"},"modified":"2024-08-20T06:43:37","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T06:43:37","slug":"diamond-clarity-chart","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ringspo.com\/uk\/diamond-clarity-chart\/","title":{"rendered":"Diamond Clarity Chart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Diamond Clarity Chart<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Your guide to diamond clarity, with hi-def images and UK-specific pricing info<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Diamond clarity is the characteristic that jewellers are often most keen to demonstrate when you are looking at diamonds, which makes it easy to get caught up in wanting to get a ring with the highest clarity quality possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But looking through a microscope or at the magnified images online can give you a false sense of what diamonds actually look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For most people, ensuring that a diamond is ‘eye clean’ should be a priority: this can mean either a VS2 or a good SI1.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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The diamond clarity chart<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The standard diamond clarity chart, as defined by GIA is below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Almost all diamond grading authorities use this chart, with the exception of AGS, which has developed its own chart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When reviewing diamonds, either online or at a jeweller, these are the terms that will be used.<\/p>\n\n\n

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What is diamond clarity?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Clarity is basically a grading on the number of imperfections that a diamond has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The imperfections came about during the natural formation of the stone, 3 million-ish years ago. As molten rock cooled to form the crystalline structure that makes a diamond, other minerals were also present and were included in the diamond as it formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes also called \u2018flaws\u2019, the imperfections are technically known as \u2018inclusions\u2019 if they are inside the stone or \u2018blemishes\u2019 if they are on the outside of the stone.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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What’s the best diamond clarity?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While ‘Flawless’ is the top of the diamond clarity scale, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best choice for most people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you’ll see in the next section, above a certain level, diamonds all look absolutely perfect once they are mounted into a ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, if you do want to have the best of the best, then you can choose a flawless or internally flawless stone, but for most people, choosing an eye-clean VS2 or SI1 is the best balance of beauty and value for money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Examples of diamonds at each clarity grade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The table below shows a typical example of each clarity grade. You can click each image to magnify it, or click through on each clarity to find out more about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing to note is that a 1 carat diamond is just 6.5mm wide, so inclusions that may appear significant on a magnified image are likely to be impossible to see in real life. <\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Description<\/th>Image (click to increase size)<\/th>Inclusion visibilty<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Flawless Diamond (FL)<\/h3>\n
No blemishes or no inclusions whatsoever \u2013 as perfect as a natural diamond can be.

Even under a microscope, a trained jeweller wouldn\u2019t be able to see any flaws at all.

Flawless diamonds are very rare, especially at a significant size \u2013 most jewellers don\u2019t even have them on the books.<\/td>

\"Flawless<\/a><\/td>\"microscope\"
Microscope needed to see inclusions<\/td> <\/tr>\n

Internally Flawless (IF)<\/h3>\n
No internal inclusions can be seen inside the stone, but an expert may be able to detect some small surface blemishes visible under a 10x magnification microscope.

Normal people would not be able to see anything, even under a microscope.<\/td>

\"Internally<\/a><\/td>\"microscope\"
Microscope needed to see inclusions<\/td> <\/tr>\n

VVS1 (Very, Very Slightly Included 1)<\/h3>\n

Tiny flaws are present, but they\u2019re so difficult to see under a microscope that they\u2019re basically non-existent.

An expert would be able to detect very small inclusions inside the stone when looking at it under 10x magnification from underneath ie. from the side that will be hidden by a ring setting.<\/p><\/td>

\"VVS<\/a><\/td>\"microscope\"
Microscope needed to see inclusions<\/td> <\/tr>\n

VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included 2)<\/h3>\n

Small Inclusions inside the diamond can be seen by an expert when looking at the diamond from above.<\/p>\n

However, you\u2019d still need to really know what you are looking for and you wouldn\u2019t be able to see the flaws without a microscope.<\/p><\/td>

\"vvs<\/a><\/td>\"microscope\"
Microscope needed to see inclusions<\/td> <\/tr>\n

VS1 Diamonds (Very Slightly Included 1)<\/h3>\n

Small Inclusions that are easier to see under a microscope \u2013 even someone who didn\u2019t know what they are looking for will be able to see them if them.<\/p>\n

Diamonds will still be \u2018eye-clean\u2019 though with no inclusions visible without using a microscope.<\/p><\/td>

\"vs<\/a><\/td>\"microscope\"
Microscope needed to see inclusions<\/td> <\/tr>\n

VS2 Diamonds (Very Slightly Included 2)<\/h4>\n

With a VS2, while some may be difficult to see, others will be quite obvious when viewed under 10x magnification.<\/p>\n

Diamonds will still be \u2018eye-clean\u2019 though with no inclusions visible without using a microscope.<\/p><\/td>

\"vs2<\/a><\/td>\"microscope\"
Microscope needed to see inclusions<\/td> <\/tr>\n

SI1 Diamond (Slightly Included 1)<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s easy to see the flaws using a microscope and you may, or may not, be able to see the flaws with the naked eye.<\/p>\n

SI Clarity range can be\u00a0a good compromise between affordability and quality, but it\u2019s best to inspect the individual diamond you\u2019re considering buying to ensure that it is eye clean.<\/p><\/td>

\"si1<\/a><\/td>\"eye\"
May<\/em>\u00a0be able to see flaws with the naked eye<\/span><\/td> <\/tr>\n

SI2 Diamonds (Slightly Included 2)<\/h3>\nInclusions are easier to see, often with significant crystals under the table which means they can be seen without a microscope.
For carat weights below 0.5, SI2 diamonds can be eye clean, but their light performance may be impacted by significant clouds.<\/td>

\"si<\/a><\/td>\"eye\"
Inclusions likely to be able to be seen<\/td> <\/tr>\n

I1, I2 & I3 Diamonds (Included)<\/h3>\nFlaws can be seen with the naked eye \u2013 you don\u2019t need a microscope to spot them. Roughly half the diamonds that are on the market today are in the I range, which means that 50% of the stones have noticeable flaws.\n

You should avoid diamonds with an I grade if you want your stone to look eye-clean and not have visible imperfections.<\/p><\/td>

\"i<\/a><\/td>\"eye\"
Flaws definitely visible with the naked eye<\/em><\/td> <\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n \n \n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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How diamond clarity affects price<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Clarity has the second largest effect on a diamond’s price behind carat weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While diamond prices are always changing, we’ve taken an average of the 5 lowest prices, as at June 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s important to note that the prices listed at those from an online retailer and significantly lower than they would be from a traditional jeweller, which can be as much as double for an identically specced diamond.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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To ensure that the comparison was fair, we looked at the difference in prices between diamonds with the following characteristics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n