VERIFY YOUR CLARITY GRADE

LEARN HOW TO VERIFY THE CLARITY OF YOUR DIAMOND

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Richard Scott

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How To Verify Your Diamond Clarity Grade

Let’s say you’re buying a Diamond.

The sales representative tells you that the Diamond is SI1 Clarity.

How do you know it’s really an SI1?

Do you just trust them?

Or are you actually looking at the stone to verify the Clarity?

Most people probably would just take the word of the Jeweler. After all, that is what they do and the Clarity Grade is printed directly on the merchandise tag…

It’s got to be accurate?

RIGHT?

Yes… and NO!

Yes, it SHOULD be accurate. And generally, in most cases, it will be. BUT NO, if the item has been mislabeled, accidentally switched, not graded yet, there’s a misunderstanding, or if the Jeweler is just trying to rip you off, then NO, it won’t be accurate!

It’s really up to YOU to protect yourself, your purchase, and your investment.

So how do you do that?

YOU VERIFY!

You have to microscope every single Diamond you purchase. IT’S A MUST!!!

You need to see what’s under the hood, so to speak. You need to see what the Inclusions and Flaws look like.

All Jewelry Stores have diagrams of what average Diamond Clarity looks like. For example…

Or, more than likely, they’ll have a smaller, condensed version of it, like this Diamond Clarity Chart…

That Clarity Chart pretty much sums up and represents Clarity, from Flawless (FL) all the way down to Included Level 3 (I3 – which is the bottom of the bucket).

That’s a good starting point. It gets you familiar with what that particular Clarity could look like.

Of course, every Diamond is different, and no two will ever be identical, but it will help you categorize them as best one can.

Real Diamond Example

Take a look at this real Diamond (from James Allen), and then look at the Grading Chart again. See if you can tell which Clarity this Diamond would be…

If you guessed..

And no peeking ahead if you haven’t…

an SI2, then you’re right on the mark!

Another Diamond Example

Let’s try this again. Take a look at the image below. What Clarity Grade could this stone be?

This particular Diamond shown above is a…

VS2!

If you guessed VS1, then you’re still doing great! (It can get hard telling side-by-side Clarties apart)

Normally if Jewelers were to rip you off, they’d give you a Lower Grade Stone like an SI2, I1, I2 or I3. Plus, most Higher Clarity Diamonds come Certified anyway, so it’s already verified (depending on who did the Certifying – and we’ll get into this more later).

So, still looking at the SI1 example we started with… What you’ll need to do is to microscope a couple of other SI1 Clarity Stones to compare it to.

By looking at enough SI1’s, you’ll become familiar with what an SI1 Diamond should look like.

The Inclusions will be different shape, different positions, different sizes, and even different colors, but you will start to see a pattern arise. You should then be able to tell if it’s SI1 or NOT!

Clarity Rules and Guidelines

There are some Clarity Rules and Guidelines that can help you out as well. Read the descriptions of the Clarity Grades below to help you understand them better…

FL – Flawless

Flawless (FL) Diamonds have no microscopic Inclusions or Blemishes in the Diamond whatsoever.

IF – Internally Flawless

Internally Flawless (IF) Diamonds are Internally free of any Inclusions. BUT, these Diamonds may have some minor Blemishes on the surface of the stone (like Extra Facets or Naturals).

VVS1 – Very Very Slightly Included 1

Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1) Diamonds (Level 1) have Inclusions that are so small and so minute that they are extremely difficult to locate under 10x (ten powered) magnification.

VVS2 – Very Very Slightly Included 2

Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS2) Diamonds (Level 2) have very difficult to see Inclusions in the stone. Anything in the VVS2 Range or higher will look Flawless to the average person. Only an expert with a trained eye can usually detect these small, very tiny identifying marks.

VS1 – Very Slightly Included 1

Very Slightly Included (VS1) Diamonds (Level 1) are my favorite Diamonds in the world! In VS1 Clarity, the Inclusions are still difficult to see under 10x magnification. Inclusions get a tad bit bigger than those in a VVS Clarity Diamond. These Inclusions range from Crystals, Clouds, Pinpoints and Feathers.

VS2 – Very Slightly Included 2

Very Slightly Included (VS2) Diamonds (Level 2) are very similar to VS1 Diamonds. The only difference between Level 1 and Level 2 are the size and position of the Inclusions. They get somewhat easier to spot under magnification and the flaws may gravitate more towards the center of the stone, versus outside and underneath the Facets.

SI1 – Slightly Included 1

Slightly Included (SI1) Diamonds (Level 1) have Inclusions and Flaws that are easy to spot under 10x power. People generally have no problems seeing Flaws like Crystals, Clouds, Feathers and Carbon Spots under the scope.

SI2 – Slightly Included 2

Slightly Included (SI2) Diamonds (Level 2) have Inclusions that are very easy to see under a 10x powered loupe or microscope. Comparing an SI2 Diamond up against a VS2 Diamond can often be startling. It’s amazing how much bigger the Inclusions get.

SI2 Diamonds often have flaws so large that you can see these with the naked eye, but often, these Inclusions are only seen when viewed from the side of the Diamond (through the Pavilion).

I1 – Imperfect 1

Imperfect (I1) Diamonds (Level 1) (or Included Diamonds) have eye visible Inclusions in them. These Inclusions are usually quite striking. Cracks, Black Carbon Spots, Cloudy or Foggy areas, Fracture Lines… Things you can actually see just by looking at the stone.

I2 – Imperfect 2

Imperfect (I2) Diamonds (Level 2) (or Included Diamonds) have Inclusions that get bigger and fill more of the stone. You’ll have no problems spotting these Flaws, Feathers, Crystals, Needles, Cracks, Fractures and Carbon Spots. Often these Inclusions will be straight down in the Diamond (right under the table, or top of the stone) where they hinder Brilliance, Sparkle and Fire. These Inclusions can’t hide and I’ll see people try to wipe the Inclusions away like there’s dirt on the stone. It’s not… It’s in the stone and it’s in there for life!

I3 – Imperfect 3

Imperfect (I3) Diamonds (Level 3) (or Included Diamonds) are the lowest Clarity Grade on the market. Below that are what they call Industrial Diamonds (that are used in Dentist’s Drills and for cutting other Diamonds). I3 Clarity compared to a VS Clarity is like a night and day difference. It will blow you away. There is NO comparison!

I3 Clarity will often be so filled with flaws and imperfections that the entire stone will look Cloudy and Foggy like a huge chunk of salt!

The Biggest Visual Change…

The biggest visual change will be from SI1 Diamonds to I1 Clarity Stones. In SI1 (and higher), all the flaws are microscopic ONLY…

In SI2, the flaws are supposed to be hidden from the top view (looking straight down into the stone), but may be apparent to the naked eye (without magnification) from a side view, as such…

In I1, I2 and I3 Stones, you WILL be able to spot the Flaws and Imperfections (pretty easily), just by looking at the stones. Take a peek…

So if you’re trying to determine, or verify, the Clarity Grade of a certain stone, that’s the easiest thing to determine. If you CAN’T see any Flaws in the Diamond, then you know it’s probably an SI1 or higher (do note that if the Diamond is pre-mounted, then everything changes. The prongs or mounting could be covering up the Flaws and throw the REAL Clarity Grade out the window! – Read: Hidden Diamond Flaws!).

If you do see Flaws, then changes are good that the Diamond is probably an Included Stone (I1, I2 or I3).

An Easier Way…

But, there is still an easier way to verify…

If you truly want to tell what the Clarity Grade is of a stone (back to our SI1 example), then compare that Diamond to a Stone that’s Certified as an SI1 by GIA!

That’s the quickest way to tell if the grade is accurate.

Compare!

Look at a GIA SI1 Clarity Diamond under a scope, and then look at the other Diamond you’re interested in buying. Do they appear similar?

They should. If they look drastically different, then I would shy away from buying it.

Take a look at these two SI2 Clarity Diamonds below… See how they are different, but yet still look similar?

You can look at those and agree that “YES, they are both SI2 Diamonds!”

GIA makes the most reliable Diamond Reports (learn how to read a Diamond Report Here), so I would use those reports to compare other stones too. I would NOT rely on IGI or EGL Diamond Reports. I wouldn’t trust them, nor buy them! Just so you know!

You can even take an easier route, and just buy ONLY Certified Diamonds to begin with (GIA, or at the least AGS Certified Diamond Reports)… Again, NOT IGI or EGL!

Buying Certified removes all doubt. It takes the Jeweler’s Word out of the equation. It’s someone else, a professional and leader in the industry, grading the stone and saying what they believe it to be.

So an SI1 will be an SI1!!!

Enough said!

But, what if you’ve already BOUGHT the Diamond?

Okay, now what happens if you’ve already purchased the stone?

In this case, then I would take the stone to a Gemologist, Diamontologist, or Certified Appraiser (not another Jeweler) to have the grade verified (plus, you could send it directly to GIA to get a Diamond Report made).

No matter what though, this still can lead to some confusion and may cause issues. WHY? Because the appraiser could say that the stone is an SI2, and NOT an SI1. So who is right?

Well, it gets tricky because of this…

Opinion!

Since every Diamond Grade is based solely on opinion, there have to be lee-ways in the grading system. Legally (FTC law), any Jeweler could (not that they would) grade their Diamonds 1 notch higher than it really is. It’s called Grade Bumping and some unscrupulous individuals could do it and get away with it.

If they have a stone that’s an SI2, they could call it an SI1 because it’s all formulated upon opinion. You could show a Diamond to 10 different people and get many different grades (not only in Clarity, but Color, Cut and even Carat Weight as well).

So, can you really, absolutely, verify a grade of a stone?

Not entirely!

But, it will get you in the ball park! YES IT WILL!

If a Jeweler is trying to sell you a stone that they say is a VS1, but you see visual flaws in the stone, they DON’T BUY IT! That’s a huge red flag.

But if the Diamond looks like it could be an SI1, maybe a VS2, then it’s probably safe to say it’s a good quality stone.