Diamond Clarity Grading

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:

Size - a measurement of how big or small the inclusion is. Bigger inclusions will have a negative impact on the Diamond Clarity rating.
Number - amount of imperfections in the diamond. The higher the number of inclusions, the lower the clarity grade.
Location - this refers to the position of the inclusion inside the diamond. The closer the inclusion to the table, the lower the clarity rating. This is because the inclusion will be more visible at this location.
Relief - a measurement of how visible the inclusion is in contrast to the diamond. Imperfections with higher relief will appear dark against the diamond and will be graded lower.
Nature - this refers to the type of inclusion present in the diamond. It also includes key characteristics like depth. An imperfection on the surface of the diamond, as long as it has not penetrated the gemstone, is called a blemish.

Diamond Clarity Grading Scale by GIA

F (Flawless)

No inclusions (internal) or blemishes (external) visible to the trained eye using 10 power magnification corrected for spherical and chromatic aberration.

IF (Internally Flawless)

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.

VVS 1 (Very Very Small Inclusions)

Minute inclusions; very difficult for the trained eye to observe at 10-power magnification.

Point to diamond for flaws.

VVS 2 (Very Very Small Inclusions)

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.

VS 1 (Very Slightly Imperfect 1)

Minor inclusions; difficult for the untrained eye to observe inclusions at 10-power magnification.

Point to diamond for flaws.

VS 2 (Very Slightly Imperfect 2)

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.

SI 1 (Slightly Imperfect 1)

Noticeable inclusions; usually observable without difficulty to the trained eye at 10-power magnification.

Point to diamond for flaws.

SI 2 (Slightly Imperfect 2)

Noticeable inclusions, observable without difficulty to the trained eye at 10-power magnification.

Point to diamond for flaws.

I 1 (Imperfect 1)

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.

I 2 (Imperfect 2)

Obvious inclusions, easily visible to the trained eye without any magnification. These imperfections may effect durability OR transparency.

Point to diamond for flaws.

I 3 (Imperfect 3)

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.

Get an Accurate Diamond Clarity Grading from IGL

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.