LOOSE DIAMONDS RINGS   Engagement Rings   Three Stone Rings   Diamond Bands JEWELRY   Stud Earrings   Bracelets ESTATE JEWELRY EDUCATION SELL YOUR DIAMOND ABOUT US Special Requests - Sell Your Diamond - Place An Order CLARITY The clarity of a diamond refers to the inclusions (flaws) it contains. Every inclusion found will lower the clarity to some degree; however, the more noticeable the flaw, the more it will lower the clarity. In order to rate the clarity of a diamond, the G.I.A. developed a clarity grading scale. In clarity grading, a certain grade is assigned to the diamond depending on how easily flaws can be detected under ten power magnification. An eyepiece called a loupe is the standard used for examining and grading diamond clarity. The G.I.A. clarity scale breaks down clarity into eleven grades from flawless to I3. G.I.A. Clarity Grade Appearance Under 10 Power Magnification FL Flawless No imperfection can be seen IF Internally Flawless No internal imperfections can be seen VVS1 VVS2 Very very slightly imperfect Categories 1 & 2 The inclusions in these grades range from very very small (VVS1) to slightly larger (VVS2). Inclusions in both grades are very difficult to locate. VS1 VS2 Very slightly imperfect Categories 1 & 2 The inclusions in these grades range from extremely small (VSI) to very small (VS2). Inclusions in both grades can be difficult to locate. SI1 SI2 Slightly imperfect Categories 1 & 2 The inclusions in these grades range from small (SI1) to medium (S12). Inclusions in grades SI1 and SI2 are much easier to locate than inclusions in the VVS or VS grades. I1 I2 I3 Imperfect Categories 1, 2 & 3 The inclusions in these grades range from somewhat large (I1) to very large (I2 and I3). Inclusions in all three categories can generally be seen without magnification. Each clarity grade (except flawless and internally flawless) represents a range of allowable flaws (based on size, number, nature, tone and location). The range of VVS1, represents the best clarity a diamond can be (next to flawless and internally flawless) and each successive clarity grade down to I3 represents a range of decreasing clarity. It is important to note that since each clarity grade has a range, not every additional flaw found in a diamond will lower the clarity enough to lower the clarity grade. For example, if you compare two diamonds which are both graded SI1, one diamond will likely be a slightly better overall clarity than the other. However, because of the range of SI1, both diamonds are given the SI1 grade. As far as value, the better the clarity of the diamond, the more it is worth. Therefore, flawless is the most valuable, and each successive clarity grade down to an I3 becomes less valuable. Return to Tutorial Page

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