An in-depth look into the clarity of a diamond
CLARITY
When diamonds are formed deep underground under extreme heat and pressure, irregularities in its atomic structure and mineral impurities could become trapped during its crystal growth. Breaks could also occur during and after formation. These aspects manifest in a diamond as clarity characteristics, which is the collective term for inclusions and blemishes.
Inclusions - enclosed within a gemstone but may also extend into the gemstone from the surface
Blemishes - confined to the gemstone’s surface
Clarity characteristics not only determine a stone’s clarity grade and a stone’s value, it also helps identify a stone. Since no two diamonds have the same clarity characteristics, they serve as a unique fingerprint for individual stones.
ASSESSING CLARITY
GIA devised the clarity scale to establish a universal standard for diamonds for assessing diamond clarity. It consists of six different categories and has 11 specific grades. While inclusions impact all grades, blemishes usually only affect the top two clarity grades. Clarity is assessed at 10x magnification based on the size, number, location, relief, and nature of a diamond’s characteristics. Clarity characteristics that aren’t discernible at 10x magnification do not influence the clarity grade.
Flawless - shows no inclusions or blemishes. flawless diamonds are extremely rare
Internally Flawless (IF) - shows no inclusions but may have minor blemishes
Very Very Slightly Included (VVS) - contain minute inclusions that range from extremely difficult (VVS1) to very difficult (VVS2) to see
Very Slightly Included (VS) - contain minor inclusions that range from difficult (VS1) to somewhat easy (VS2) to see
Slightly Included (SI) - contain noticeable inclusions that are easy (SI1) to very easy (SI2) to see
Included (I) - contain inclusions that are obvious to see; in some cases, they may affect transparency and brilliance
Diamonds graded VS and above typically do not exhibit visible inclusions or blemishes to the naked eye.
COMMON INCLUSIONS
Crystal (Xtl) - a mineral crystal contained in a diamond
Pinpoint (Pp) - a very small included crystal resembling a tiny dot at 10x
Needle (Ndl) - a long, thin crystal resembling a tiny rod at 10x, Cloud (Cld) - a group of pinpoints that are too small to be distinguished individually, and form a hazy appearance
Feather (Ftr) - general term for any break in a gemstone, often white and feathery in appearance
Cavity (Cav) - an opening that occurs on the surface, often occurs during the polishing process when an internal inclusion drops out or is forced out, or when a feather breaks away
Internal graining (IG) - caused by irregularities in crystal growth, resulting in colored, hazy brush strokes or bright, reflective features.
