All About the Clarity of Diamonds
Written by Deb St. George
The average amount spent on an engagement ring last year was about $3,200 for a half-carat engagement ring at Tiffany & Co. It might be wise to have your diamond appraised after you buy it, to confirm that the diamond goes with the report and that it hasn't since been damaged.
Most diamonds larger than a half carat will be accompanied by a grading report, usually from the GIA or the American Gem Society Laboratories. If the jeweler can't provide a report, then you need to ask further questions as to why they can't provide the report.
Diamond clarity is the second of the four Cs -- carat, clarity, color and cut, the last of which refers to the stone's overall craftsmanship.
Clarity is an important aspect of a diamond, and it is important to know how to grade the clarity of a diamond before you buy one. It is actually quite easy to learn how to grade the clarity of a diamond. There are basically two things that you must understand: Diamonds with visual inclusions and blemishes, and those that are ‘eye clean’ meaning that there are no inclusions or blemishes that can be seen with the naked eye. From there, the clarity of a diamond is further broken down into subcategories.
Many people mistakenly think that diamond clarity refers to how clear it is. This isn’t so. Clarity actually refers to the internal and external imperfections of the diamond. The best diamonds, of course get a grade of FL or IF – Flawless or Internally Flawless – meaning that it is perfect. A grade of I-1, I-2 or I-3 means that the diamond is imperfect, with a grade of I-3 being the worst.
Other grades are VVS1 and VVS2, which means that the diamond is very, very slightly imperfect; VS1 and VS2, meaning the diamond is very slightly imperfect; SI-1 and SI-2, which means that the diamond is slightly imperfect.
For a full list of clarity rankings, check the Web site of the Gemological Institute of America (www.gia.edu), which issues diamond grading reports.
