Today I’m going to take a look at one of the “4 C’s” of how diamonds are graded. For those that aren’t aware, diamonds are ranked in 4 main categories – cut, color, carat and clarity. Today I want to take a close look at one of the biggies – clarity.
The range for grading clarity goes from IF (the best) down to I3 (the worst). In total, there are ten different categories that a diamond can be given.
Clarity refers to how many “inclusions” that are present in the stone. Basically, inclusions are small blemishes or imperfections. They form naturally when the rock is forming in the earth and they can be found in almost all diamonds.
In order to place a grade on the diamond, a gemologist looks at the diamond under magnification to look at the inclusions that are present. The grading is then decided on the number of inclusions, and also how apparent or large they are.
As an example, a diamond that is given an IF grading has no inclusions at all. This is incredibly rare, and understandably, this type of diamond carries a huge price premium attached to it.
A stone with a grading of VS2 will have “very slight” inclusions – these will only be noticeable when viewed under a microscope and aren’t typically noticeable with your naked eye. These diamonds sell for significantly less that an IF graded diamond.
Make sure to familiarize yourself with the different ways diamonds are graded. Grab a diamond buying guide - this will make a huge difference in the end and will make it possible to save some huge cash on your purchase. It can be the difference between finding an affordable engagement ring instead of shelling out big bucks and putting a huge smile on your jewelers face.