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DIAMOND
CLARITY
Clarity grading measures the presence
of naturally occurring features within the diamond (called inclusions) or some
imperfections on its surface (called blemishes). The inclusions are not flaws -
they are the unique “finger-prints” of the diamond and in most cases will not
detract from its brilliance and beauty.
Very few diamonds are flawless and all
others contain some inclusions and/or blemishes. These are graded according to
their nature (feathers; clouds; carbon points), number, location, and if they
are visible to the naked eye. The classification of clarity start with FL -
Flawless; IF - Internally Flawless; VVS 1 - 2 class is Very Very Slightly
Included; while SI 1 - 2 is Slightly Included. For all of the above categories,
the inclusions/blemishes are visible only under magnification - they are
invisible to the naked eye. For diamonds graded as categories SI 3 and I 1-3,
the inclusions are visible without magnification.
Rarest FL IF VVS1 VVS2 VS1
VS2 SI1 SI2 SI3 I1 I2 I3 Common
| FL |
Flawless. No visible flaws
under 10X magnification. |
| IF |
Internally Flawless. No
internal flaws. Only minor external blemishes. |
| VVS1 |
Very, Very Slight
Inclusions. Extremely difficult for a trained observer to detect.
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| VVS2 |
Very, Very Slight
Inclusions. Very difficult for a trained observer to detect. |
| VS1 |
Very Slight Inclusions.
Difficult for a trained diamond grader to detect. |
| VS2 |
Very Slight Inclusions.
Somewhat easy for a trained diamond grader to detect. |
| SI1 |
Slightly Included. Easy
for a trained diamond grader to see. |
| SI2 |
Slightly Included. Very
easy to detect under 10X magnification Inclusions may be visible when the
diamond is viewed face-down against a white background. |
| I1 |
Imperfect. Obvious flaws
may be seen with naked eye. |
| I2 |
Imperfect. More flaws than
I1. The diamond's beauty OR durability are affected. |
| I3 |
Imperfect. More flaws than
I2. The diamond's beauty AND durability are affected. |
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