Looking at how a diamond is graded – the truth about clarity!
Posted December 24th, 2008 by SpikeToday I want to take a look at one of the “4 C’s” of diamonds. In case you don’t know, diamonds are ranked in 4 main categories – cut, color, carat and clarity. Let’s have a close look at one of the biggies – clarity.
The clarity grading scale ranges from IF (the best) down to I3 (the worst). In total, there are ten different categories that a diamond can be given.
Clarity refers to how many “inclusions” that are present in the diamond. In a nut-shell, inclusions are small blemishes or imperfections. These form naturally when the rock is forming in the earth and inclusions are found in almost all diamonds.
When grading the diamond, a gemologist looks at the diamond under intense magnification in order to look at any inclusions that are present. The grading is then submitted based on the number of inclusions, and also how noticeable or large they are.
As an example, a diamond that is given an IF grading has no inclusions whatsoever. This is incredibly rare, and as you can imagine, this type of diamond carries a huge price premium attached to it.
A diamond graded VS2 will have “very slight” inclusions – these are only noticeable under a microscope and aren’t noticeable with just the human eye alone. These diamonds sell for a lot less that an IF graded diamond.
Make sure to familiarize yourself with the different ways diamonds are graded. Pick up a diamond buying guide - you will be pleased you did in the end and will make it possible to save some huge cash on your purchase. Just a little education will be the difference in finding an affordable engagement ring instead of overpaying and filling your jeweler’s bank account.
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