Diamond Clarity

What is diamond clarity?

Key Info:

Diamond clarity refers to how free a diamond is from internal flaws (inclusions) and surface imperfections (blemishes).

Inclusions: Internal characteristics like tiny crystals, fractures, feathers and more (below)

Blemishes: External marks like scratches, chips, or polish lines.

Inclusions are internal or external characteristics/flaws that appear during a diamond’s formation process in the earth. It contributes to the diamond's value & appearance, alongsidecolour, cut and carat. Most inclusions aren't visible to the naked eye.

Diamonds without inclusions are graded as Flawless, they’re often hard to come by. They’re more costly, the higher the clarity grading, the higher the cost.

Things to Know

• Clarity vs. Visibility: Inclusions in a well-cut diamond can be hidden under prongs or may not be visible without magnification.
• Eye-Clean Diamonds: A diamond that has inclusions under magnification but looks flawless to the naked eye. Often found in VS2–SI1 grades and offer good value.
• Size & Position Matter: A few large inclusions in the center of the table is more noticeable and reduces value more than multiple small ones near the edge.

Clarity and Value

• Higher clarity grades appear cleaner and are more expensive.
• Most buyers choose VS1–SI1 clarity for a balance between beauty and price.

Top Tips:

A lower clarity diamond can still look stunning if:

• The characteristic/shape of the clarity itself is hard to spot, this helps for budget based buying.
• They're positioned where they can be hidden by settings.
• The diamond is small enough that imperfections are hard to spot.

The Clarity Scale:

Extra Info:

What causes inclusions and blemishes?

Small cracks when the diamond is formed deep in the earth

The pressure and heat in earth's mantle lead to carbon molecules to crystallise and grow, this'll capture traces of other elements.

The combination of growing crystals, pressure, heat and trace elements can lead to cracks in the diamonds.

The diamond is inspected and clarity is measured using a clarity chart.

Does clarity affect a diamond's sparkle?

No, not really. Inclusions from FL (flawless) to SI1 are too small to disrupt sparkle (light performance). If inclusions are big, this interferes with light passing through the diamond, this is mostly in diamonds graded below SI1.

NoDiamond's sparkle is influenced by cut & light, excellent cutting means the dimensions are optimal, the flow of light is best, so maximum fire, brilliance and sparkle. It isn’t directly linked to clarity.

Inclusion Characteristics:

— There are many different shapes of inclusions, some better than others as they impact the overall diamond look.

— Pinpoints: Tiny gas bubbles, black/white crystals, usually microscopic.

—Needles: Long & thin, needle-like crystals.

—Feathers: Small cracks inside the diamond, feather-like, sometimes transparent.

—Clouds: Tiny, cloudy groups of inclusions. Clusters of pinpoints, giving a hazy/milky look.

—Crystals: Solid mineral or diamond particles trapped inside. Sometimes coloured.

—Bearding: Hair-like inclusions along the diamond's edges.

—Knots: Large inclusions visible on the diamond's surface. Can be a bump on the surface.

—Twinning wisp - A series of pinpoints, clouds, or crystals that form in a diamond’s growth place. They’re typically long and ribbon-like, and they’re usually the result of a diamond’s crystal structure twisting or distorting during its formation. They can affect the clarity of the diamond, depending on the size and location.

—Lattice Distortion: Wavy patterns in the crystal structure.

—Graining: Fine lines or marks on the diamond’s surface. Can be found in other areas too. Sometimes within.

—Cavity/Chip: An opening in the diamond. It can occur naturally during the diamond's formation or cutting process. If it naturally occurs, it can build up dirt. During cutting, chips & cavity happens when a weak point in the diamond is stressed.

What clarity grade should I aim for?

VS1 - VS2.

This clarity range offers excellent sparkle and doesn't limit a diamond's performance in any way. You have a very similar look to higher clarity’s but without the higher price tag. It also offers an organic look to your diamond, rather than it being too perfect to the point it looks fake.

In the case of lab grown diamonds, you should look no less than VS2, below VS2 is harder to find as these diamonds are man-made so they’re not going to deliberately make poor quality diamonds.

For natural diamonds, you should look for no less than SI1.

Read about Cut, Colour and Carat.

Want to know more?

If you want more clarification or have any questions, contact us via Instagram @aylahfinejewellery, call us on 0203 196 1630, WhatsApp us on 07785 924722, email us on info@aylahfinejewellery.com. We’ll help you!