Diamond Clarity is the one C out of the 4 C's that's
easy for most customers to understand. Why? Because
people can see Black Carbon Spots, Cracks, and Lines. It's no big mystery to them. And Black Spots and other Identifying Marks and Characteristics are one Diamond Quality that often fascinates plenty. It's like a highly detailed
kaleidoscope of Nature!
Folks really do enjoy microscoping a Diamond and looking at all the fascinating flaws that Mother Nature creates. And if you haven't had the opportunity to scope a Diamond, then please, run out and do so! It will open up a whole new World to you.
Clarity in Diamonds is basically the amount of imperfections or flaws in a Diamond. Those flaws can be inside the Diamond, or outside the Diamond, (on the outer surface) where they are normally called blemishes!
Imperfections, Flaws, Blemishes, Inclusions, and Defects in Diamonds can be called many different things. Namely: Crystals, Pin Points, Cracks, Breaks, Fractures, Feathers, Cleavage Lines, Bearding, Clouds, Growth Lines, Grain Lines, Cavities, Laser Drill Holes, Knots, Scratches, Nicks, Pits, Abrasions, Extra Facets, Naturals, and Trigons! Whew! And you thought they were just called Inclusions!
So let's take a closer look at these flaws that can change a Diamond's Clarity so drastically, then we'll actually get into the 6 Clarity Categories as devised by the G.I.A. Grading Chart.
Crystals - Crystals are other Minerals trapped and crystallized inside the Diamond. Interestingly enough, most mineral crystals that are found inside Diamonds are actually other Diamond crystals! Diamond Crystals that crystallized differently than the rest of the Diamond. Like Black Carbon Spots for example. Black Spots are the #1 most found Inclusion inside a Diamond. And most Black Spots are 100% Pure Carbon! (The DNA of Diamonds!)
Pin Points - Pin Points are small, tiny specs of mineral crystals. Very minute in size. They look like little, bitty dots.
Cracks, Fractures, Breaks, Feathers, Cleavage Lines - Are pretty much the same thing. Lines running through the stone. Some cracks can be large and long, others can look like broken, jagged chunks, small flat cracks, or soft, little feathers.
The big deal with cracks is: The Smaller = The Better! Large cracks can weaken the Diamond and cause it to break in half with any accidental blow. Also note that if the crack actually breaks the surface of the Diamond, then it's not only more noticeable to the eye, but it's also more fragile! Be careful with cracks!
More Inclusions, Clarity, Laser Holes and Knots to come... Read on...
