Diamond Clarity
When finding your perfect ring you will need to consider the personality of the person you are buying for, will they want something super sparkly or something understated. Will they need something practical that they can wear every day or will they not be able to wear a ring to work?
When choosing a diamond, it is important that you take into account the 4 Cs: cut, clarity, colour and carat. At Aspire Diamonds, the 4Cs are at the heart of every piece of jewellery we craft – each one of our pieces is made with the highest quality in mind.
Clarity is the measure of imperfections in a natural diamond - so a diamond clarity grading highlights the imperfections within. These imperfections are more commonly known as 'inclusions'.
Inclusions and blemishes come in many different forms, some of the most common include:
- Feathers - a small crack inside the diamond - it can look transparent in certain lights or white in others.
- Clouds - a group of very small pinpoints that create a dull look within the diamond.
- Graining - a white coloured haze caused by irregular crystal growth,
They can come in different shapes and sizes depending on the size and location in the diamond.
We use the below clarity chart when grading your new diamond. Take your time and read about each grade in detail and make sure that you choose the best grade for your new diamond ring. If you need any more information, please contact us or come and visit us at our Jewellery Quarter store and one of our diamond experts will be happy to take you through the different grades.
Diamond Clarity Scale
F
Flawless diamond
The diamond shows no inclusions or blemishes of any sort under 10X magnification when observed by an experienced grader.
IF
Internally flawless diamond
The diamond has no inclusions when observed by an experienced grader using 10X magnification, but will have some minor surface blemishes.
VVS1 / VVS2
Very, very slightly included diamond
The diamond contains minute inclusions that are difficult to even be visible under 10X magnification for experienced graders.
VS1 / VS2
Very slightly included diamond
The diamond contains minute inclusions such as small crystals, clouds or feathers when observed with effort under 10X magnification.
S1 / S2
Slightly included diamond
The diamond contains inclusions (clouds, included crystals, knots, cavities and feathers) that are noticeable to an experienced grader under 10X magnification.
I1 / I2 / I3
Included diamond
The diamond contains inclusions (possible large feathers or large included crystals) that are obvious under 10X magnification and may affect transparency and brilliance.
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How is diamond clarity determined?
Here at Aspire Diamonds, we guarantee stunning, top of the range diamonds with a high clarity rating. We determine the clarity of our diamonds in five key ways: size, number, type, location and the relief of inclusion:
- Size of inclusion - the bigger the diamond’s inclusion, the bigger the impact on clarity grading.
- Number of inclusion - clarity grade will be affected by the number of inclusions – the higher the number of inclusions the more we affect the diamond clarity grade.
- Type of inclusions - the type of inclusion is very important when determining the grade of clarity. A diamond with a blemish on its surface would have a higher clarity grade than one with an inclusion deep in the diamond.
- Location of inclusion - clarity grade is affected more by the inclusion’s proximity to the centre of the diamond - as if the inclusion is closer to the girdle of the diamond, then it will be harder to see.
- Relief of inclusion - the darker the inclusion, the more noticeable it will be on the diamond meaning the relief of the inclusion is higher. The higher the relief, the greater the effect on the clarity grading.
