The 4C's; Clarity
Clarity gets confusing because many diamond retailers will make up their own code for grading the diamonds they sell. Such as A-1, etc. Such bogus marketing tools do a disservice to the consumer.
Clarity refers to how clean the diamond is. The imperfections are graded as to how many, how severe. and what position they are in the cut diamond. Some diamonds have no imperfections and are called flawless.
Trained gemologists use a 10x power "loop" to look at the diamond and categorize it according to a pre-set criteria that is standard in the industry. The clarity grade categories are ;
Internally Flawless (IF)-Free from internal blemishes.
Very Very Slightly Included (VVS)-Internal or external blemishes very hard to detect with 10x magnification.
Very Slightly Included (VS)- Inclusions and blemishes difficult to detect with 10x loop.
Slightly Included (SI)- Inclusions and blemishes easy to see under 10x magnification.
Included (I)-Medium or large inclusions or blemishes easily seen with the naked eye.
Diamonds with the higher clarity grades are more rare and thus the most expensive. In the gem industry all pricing is driven by rarity of the diamond.
If you must sacrifice one of the 4C's, this may be a consideration. The amount and position of the inclusion will definitely affect the quality of the brilliance of the diamond, but, most diamonds with a range of SI1 and better will give you a good value, and a lovely Diamond. Again remember to trust your eye for beauty!
About the Author:
The author Brenda McDonald has been in the jewelry industry for 12 years and has loved diamonds all her life. Currently Brenda and her husband Kenneth McDonald own and operate and jewelry store at the "Grove Park Inn and Spa," in Asheville, NC. |
