The
5Cs of Diamonds
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The clarity of a
diamond refers to how clear, or
"clean" the diamond is.
Diamonds have imperfections which
are present in its rough state. The
clarity scale is a measure of the
severity of those imperfections or
"inclusions" as it is
known in the trade.
In addition to
internal inclusions, surface
irregularities are referred to as
blemishes. These two categories of
imperfections-inclusions (internal)
and blemishes (external)-make up
clarity. The fewer the
imperfections, the rarer and more
valuable the diamond.
Clarity is graded
using a very precise and complex
method of evaluating the size,
location, and visibility of
inclusions.
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| Clarity |
FL |
IF |
VVS1 |
VVS2 |
VS1 |
VS2 |
SI1 |
SI2 |
I1 |
I2 |
I3 |
| Scale |
Flawless-
Internally
Flawless
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Very
Very Slightly
Imperfect
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Very
Slightly
Imperfect
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Slightly
Imperfect
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Imperfect
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| Clarity
is a measure of internal structural
imperfections called
"inclusions". Grades of
clarity, which are mostly those used
by Gemological
Institute of America (GIA), are: |
FL-Flawless:
Shows no inclusions or
blemishes of any sort under 10 x
magnifications when observed by an
experienced grader.
IF-Internally
Flawless:
Have no inclusions when examined by
an experienced grader, but will have
some minor blemishes.
VVS1,
VVS2 - Very Very Slightly
Imperfect:
Contains minute inclusions that are
difficult even for experienced
graders to see under 10x
magnification.
VS1,
VS2 - Very Slightly
Imperfect:
Contains minute inclusions such as
crystals, clouds or feathers when
observed with effort under 10x
magnification.
SI1,
SI2 - Slightly Imperfect:
Contains inclusions such as
cavities, knots clouds, feathers and
included crystals which are
noticeable to an experienced grader.
I1,
I2, I3 -
Imperfect:
Contains inclusions such as large
feathers or large included crystals,
which are obvious under a 10x
magnification and may affect
transparency and brilliance. |
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