Clarity Grade

“Flawless” is a word often heard in association with diamonds, but almost all diamonds have naturally occurring imperfections which bear witness to their millennia-long formation in the Earth’s mantle. These imperfections are sometimes referred to as “inclusions” if they’re inside the diamond and “blemishes” if they appear on the surface of the diamond.

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• Clarity refers to the size, number and location of inclusions and blemishes
• The higher the clarity grade, the fewer imperfections
• Of all the Four C’s, clarity has the least impact on a diamond's beauty, providing you avoid the lowest grades (I1-I3 or P1-P3), which we don't sell

Diamonds are graded for Clarity according to the size, position and number of imperfections that are visible. Most inclusions and blemishes are microscopic and are detected by gemmologists using 10x magnification – meaning most are invisible to the naked eye. For this reason, of all the Four C’s, the Clarity grade is generally considered to affect a diamond’s appearance the least.

Clarity Chart

Flawless, Internally Flawless
FL-IF
No inclusions visible under 10x magnification. Extremely rare.

Very Very Slightly Included
VVS1	VVS2
Very few minute imperfections barely detectable under 10x magnification. Very rare and beautiful.

Very Slightly Included
VS1	VS2
Small identifying characteristics visible under 10x but invisible to the unaided eye.  Beautiful and excellent quality diamonds.

Slightly Included
SI1	SI2
Imperfections are easily visible under the microscope and may be visible to the eye. Offers good value for money.

 

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

Whilst it’s possible to buy diamonds that are internally flawless – ones without any inclusions or blemishes even at very high magnifications – these stones are extremely rare and expensive. In reality, most diamonds are technically flawed yet it’s the little imperfections which make each stone unique. They may be cut the same, possess the same colour density and be of the same carat weight, but no two diamonds will look the same under the microscope. 

When you buy a diamond from us, you’ll receive an independent grading report with a diagram to show the location of any inclusions and blemishes. This is your diamond’s unique fingerprint – no one else will have a diamond exactly like yours.

 

We Say

Any diamond with a clarity grade of VS2 or higher will appear perfectly clear to the unaided eye so dropping a grade here can give you more to spend on the setting - without affecting the appearance of the diamond.

Avoid anything I1-I3 (sometimes described as P1-P3) or lower, unless you like the peppered look!