When it comes to Diamonds, Clarity is the most searched term there is. It seems like everyone wants to know if a particular Diamond Clarity is
Good or
Bad.
Clarity is neither! It's just one of the 4 ways to Identify, Classify and Price Diamonds. The other 3 are: Cut, Color and Carat Weight.
Clarity is by far the most popular subject because people are simply fascinated with Flaws and Imperfections. They love to look at Inclusions, Cracks and Black Spots. They love inspecting them under a Microscope and trying to determine whether it's Clean or Flawed. Comparing Clarity to a Diamond Plot is Exciting, Interesting, Fun and Cool.
I've written a lot of articles about Clarity over the years. What can I say, it's a hot topic!
So here they are. All the Jewelry-Secrets articles regarding Clarity... So far.
Enjoy them all!
4 C's Diamond Clarity
Diamond Clarity and the 4 C's - 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... Read More: 4C's Diamond Clarity!
VVS Clarity
Diamond Clarity VVS - When you look on the Diamond Clarity Chart as written and designed by G.I.A. (The Gemological Institute of America), you'll see 6 main Clarity Grades. They are: Flawless (FL), Internally Flawless (IF), VVS (VVS1-VVS2), VS (VS1-VS2), SI (SI1-SI2), I (I1-I2-I3). Of all the Diamond Clarity ratings out there, the VVS Clarity Grade (That's V V S, not WS!) is as close to perfection as most people will ever see. Read More: VVS Clarity Diamonds!
VS Clarity
Diamond Clarity VS - I am a huge fan of VS Clarity Diamonds! If you ask me what Clarity of Diamond I would personally buy the next time I bought a Diamond, I would say VS Clarity without hesitation! VS Clarity is the ultimate Clarity for a Diamond. Granted, it's not the highest or the cleanest Clarity available... And it does have minor flaws in it, but VS Clarity is just absolutely astounding! (See picture to compare SI... Read More: VS Clarity Diamonds!
SI Clarity
Diamond Clarity SI - A young Woman asked me to see a Diamond Engagement Ring in the showcase. She then asked me about it's quality. I told her it was SI Clarity... and before I could explain what that meant, she looks at me and says... "SI? What's that mean? Slightly Irregular?" You'd be surprised what most people think the letters stand for. But SI Clarity means "Slightly Included". Some also say, Slight... Read More: SI Clarity Diamonds!
SI2 Clarity
Diamond Clarity SI2 - What are SI2 Clarity Diamonds? Is SI2 Clarity a Good Clarity or a Bad Clarity? Should you Buy SI2 Diamonds? These are the questions we'll look at and we'll also see why SI2 Clarity Diamonds are the most controversial Clarity of Diamonds on the market. But first, let's look closer at the SI Clarity Group! SI means Slightly Included. Some call it "Slightly Imperfect", but they all mean the same... Read More: SI2 Clarity Diamonds!
SI3 Clarity
Diamond Clarity SI3 - Jewelers are selling what is called an SI3 Clarity Diamond! Is it for real? No, it's not! In fact, SI3 Clarity is a Scam! There is no such thing as SI3 Clarity. If you look at the Clarity Grading System as implemented by G.I.A. (The Gemological Institute of America), you'll see that there is no such category called SI3! So if SI3 Clarity doesn't exist, then where does SI3 come from? Space? Before we... Read More: SI3 Clarity Diamonds!
I Clarity
Diamond Clarity I - There are 4 main Clarity Ratings for Diamonds on the Diamond Market. I Clarity, SI Clarity, VS Clarity and VVS Clarity. There are also Internally Flawless and Flawless Diamonds, but they rarely hit the market and are normally collectors pieces that sell for huge amounts of money. So for this blog, we'll stick to one of the most popular Clarity Ranges. And that Clarity Range is, I Clarity Diamonds! Why? Because I... Read More: I Clarity Diamonds!
I3 Clarity
Diamond Clarity I3 - I3 Clarity Diamonds, you gotta love them. If it wasn't for I3 Clarity, we'd have nothing to compare I2 Clarity Diamonds to. There are good points and bad points to I3 Diamonds. (Mostly bad) We'll start with the Bad and work our way up on the Diamond Clarity Grading Chart. If you look at the Grading Chart, you'll see that I3 Clarity is at the very end of the Clarity Scale. I3's are the last stop on the list. And no... Read More: I3 Clarity Diamonds!
Is Clarity Important?
Is Clarity Important? - How important is Diamond Clarity? Should you worry about Clarity? On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best), I would give Clarity a rating of 4. Surprised? Don't be. The reason I give Clarity a 4 is based upon some strong key points: • Anything SI1 or higher in Clarity basically looks the same to the naked eye • Out of the 4 C's, Clarity affects the beauty of the Diamond the least. Let me explain... Read More: Is Diamond Clarity Important?
The Worst Diamond Inclusions
Worst Inclusions! - When people are shopping for Loose Diamonds, they're always curious about Clarity and Inclusions. They always want to know what types of Inclusions are the Worst Inclusions to have in a Diamond. Is it Imperfections like: Fractures, Chips, Bearded Girdles, Extra Facets, Naturals, or Scratches? Or is it Inclusions like: Black Carbon Spots, White Spots, Clouds, Pinpoints, Crystals, or... Read More: The Worst Clarity Inclusions!
Black Pepper Clarity
Black Pepper in your Diamond - Black Pepper in your Diamond? Almost sounds like a song to me. But people are pretty funny about Diamonds and inclusions. They'll bring their Diamond Engagement Rings in and say they see black spots in their Diamonds that look like Pepper. They say they weren't there the day they bought them!... I say Hogwash! I'll say this, just because you didn't see the inclusions... Read More: Black Pepper Diamond Clarity!
Most Popular Clarity and Color
The Most Popular Diamond Clarity? - Why am I talking about the Most Popular Diamond Color and Diamond Clarity? Because everyone is always interested in what other people are buying! They're interested because it shows them what most people in their shoes purchase. Who buys what Diamond Quality and Why! Most people like to go with the flow. They don't want to buy the best Diamond, or the... Read More: Popular Diamond Clarity!
Can Inclusions Grow?
Can Flaws & Inclusions Grow? - A good portion of the public actually believes that Flaws, Imperfections and Inclusions can grow and develop inside a Diamond after they purchase it. They believe that one day, they can look down at their ring and flaws will suddenly appear in their Diamond where there was none. I hear this all the time: "It wasn't there when I bought it!" Magically a black carbon spot appeared... Read More: Can Diamond Inclusions Grow?
Diamond Cut Versus Clarity
Cut vs Clarity - Which is better when it comes to Quality and the 4 C's? Cut or Clarity? It's a great debate! Here's a little story to illustrate my topic:
A guy walks into a Jewelry Store (Sounds like the beginning of a joke), and he's come prepared. He wants to see a Certified Round Diamond, VS1 Clarity, G Color. I smile and walk him to our Loose Diamond counter. I proceed to pull out Certified Diamonds and.. Read More: Diamond Cut or Diamond Clarity?
Diamond Clarity Test
Diamond Clarity Test - Every Diamond in a Jewelry Store has a certain quality about it. And those qualities (like Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight) are listed (should be) either on the merchandise tag, or on the Certification Papers. But how can you be sure they're correct? The Image to the right is an I2 Clarity! Would you have know that? Let's take a look an SI1 Clarity Diamond (Pictured directly below). You know it's... Read More: Diamond Clarity Quiz!
Diamond Quality vs Price
Diamond Clarity versus Price - This is a topic that a lot of people have a hard time understanding. How can completely different Carat Weights (Quantity) be all the same exact price? For example, let's take 5 different Round Brilliant Cut Diamond sizes: • .50 (Half Carat) Diamond • .62 (5/8 Carat) Diamond • .75 (3/4 Carat) Diamond • 1.00 (1 Carat) Diamond • 1.50 (1 1/2 Carat) Diamond. There are... Read More: Clarity, Quality and Price!
Is Diamond Clarity Rare?
Is Clarity Rare? - When people think of Diamond Clarity and the 11 Different Clarity Groups (FL, IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2, I3) they tend to think of them as equal and relative in size to each other. Most just think that as you go higher up the scale, the Inclusions get smaller and the price goes up. In other words, the cleaner the stone the better! This is correct... Almost! Why almost? Because Rarity doesn't... Read More: Diamond Clarity Rare?
Eye Clean Clarity
Eye Clean Diamond Clarity - Eye-Clean is not a very good term to describe Diamonds. You'll often hear this phrase from Jewelers when talking about Diamond Clarity. "This Diamond is Eye-Clean!" (Does Eye-Clean make the Diamond sound better than it really is?) Eye-Clean is supposed to mean that there are no eye-visible Inclusions in the Diamond (from the top view). But here's the problem... Who's eyes are we... Read More: Eye Clean Diamonds!
Why Certify I Clarity?
Certified I Clarity Diamonds - You walk into a Jewelry Store. You're looking at a pair of One Carat Diamond Stud Earrings. The Salesperson says "These are Great Diamond Studs," She smiles "They're Certified!" You look at the Certificate. The Clarity is I Clarity! I don't get it. It makes no sense to me. I Clarity is the LOWEST Clarity range there is on the market... So WHY Certify it? I could see if it was a High Clarity, like VS... Read More: I Clarity Certified?
Can Clarity be Fixed?
Diamond Clarity Fixed? - Can your Diamond's Color and Clarity be fixed by Jewelers? Can they make it better? Short answer: NO! Long Answer: Yes! Jewelers can do things to fix your Diamond, but it's not simple, and it's not pretty! Let's cut to the chase... The Diamond you're trying to "FIX" is already a Million Years old. Chances are good, that the Diamond's Color and Clarity are here to stay. (Mother Nature says so!)... Read More: Can Clarity be Improved?
Can Inclusions be a Good thing?
Are Diamond Flaws Good? - Everybody is always on a quest for the PERFECT Inclusion-Free Diamond Ring! ESPECIALLY in an Engagement Ring. I mean who wants to give the Bride-To-Be a flaw? People are always willing to sacrifice Color, Cut and Carat Weight, but in no way do they want to give her a Diamond that's riddled with inclusions! So what exactly are Inclusions? And how can they be good for you?... Read More: Why Inclusions are Good!
Read Clarity on a Plot!
Clarity and Diamond Plots! - When Salespeople from Jewelry Stores tell customers that they can identify their Diamond by the "Plot", most customers get a glazed-over look. Some even nod. Even though they might understand that a Plot is like a fingerprint to a Diamond, and that each and every fingerprint or Plot is unique, they still don't fully understand what a Plot is, and they surely don't understand the... Read More: How to Read Clarity on a Diamond Plot!
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