Looking at the grading of diamonds – the truth about clarity!
This time I want to have a look at one of the “4 C’s” of how diamonds are graded. In case you don’t know, diamonds are graded in 4 main categories – cut, color, carat and clarity. Let’s take a close look at the last one – clarity.
The range for grading clarity goes from IF (the best) down to I3 (the worst). As a whole, there are ten different categories that a diamond can fall into.
Clarity refers to how many “inclusions” that are present in the diamond. In a nut-shell, inclusions are small blemishes or imperfections. These occur naturally when the rock is forming in the earth and inclusions are found in almost all diamonds.
In order to place a grade on the diamond, a gemologist looks at the diamond under intense magnification to look at any inclusions that are present. The grading is then submitted based on how many inclusions, and also how apparent or large they are.
Just to illustrate, a diamond that has an IF grading has no inclusions at all. This is incredibly rare, and understandably, this type of diamond carries a huge bump in price.
A diamond graded VS2 will have “very slight” inclusions – these will only be noticeable when viewed under a microscope and aren’t typically noticeable with your naked eye. These diamonds sell for significantly less that an IF graded diamond.
Make sure to understand the different ways diamonds are graded. Grab a diamond buying guide - you will be pleased you did in the end and will make it possible to save a lot of money on your purchase. Just a little education will be the difference in finding an affordable engagement ring instead of shelling out big bucks and making your jeweler richer.
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