Perfect diamonds are very rare. Most diamonds mined come with natural inclusions and blemishes. Diamond Clarity is a qualitative metric used to evaluate the purity or visual appearance of your diamond. Since most of these imperfections are not visible to the naked eye, Diamond Clarity grading is often done under 10x magnification. In some cases, gemmology labs may use more than 10x magnification if needed.
Diamond Clarity is affected by five factors:
No inclusions (internal) or blemishes (external) visible to the trained eye using 10 power magnification corrected for spherical and chromatic aberration.
No inclusions but they do possess minor surface blemishes that are visible to the trained eye using 10-power magnification.
Point to diamond for flaws.
Minute inclusions; very difficult for the trained eye to observe at 10-power magnification.
Point to diamond for flaws.
No inclusions but they do possess minor surface blemishes that are visible to the trained eye using 10-power magnification.
Point to diamond for flaws.
Minor inclusions; difficult for the untrained eye to observe inclusions at 10-power magnification.
Point to diamond for flaws.
Minor inclusions; somewhat difficult for the trained eye to observe at 10-power magnification. The difference between this grade and VS 1 is usually the location and size of the inclusions.
Point to diamond for flaws.
Noticeable inclusions; usually observable without difficulty to the trained eye at 10-power magnification.
Point to diamond for flaws.
Noticeable inclusions, observable without difficulty to the trained eye at 10-power magnification.
Point to diamond for flaws.
Obvious inclusions visible to the trained eye without any magnification. In some cases the inclusions are not visible to the naked eye but do affect overall transparency.
Point to diamond for flaws.
Obvious inclusions, easily visible to the trained eye without any magnification. These imperfections may effect durability OR transparency.
Point to diamond for flaws.
Very obvious inclusions and blemishes that affect the diamond’s overall transparency, its ability to reflect and refract light and most likely its durability. This is the lowest GIA clarity grade.
Point to diamond for flaws.
IGL combines tried and tested methodologies with modern technology to give you the most accurate Diamond Clarity grading. Our state-of-the-art equipment is capable of more than 10x magnification. This enables our expert and experienced gemmologists to examine the clarity of your investment diamond in more detail.