This really is a great question that tends to blow people's mind: Can a Low Clarity Diamond, like I Clarity,
look BETTER than a High Clarity Diamond like
SI Clarity?
YES IT CAN!
In fact, an I Clarity Diamond could look better than a VS Clarity or even a VVS Clarity Diamond, which are two top of the line stones.
How is this possible?
Cut and Color!
You see, a Diamond's beauty is a combination of the 4 C's. Mainly Cut, Color and Clarity (The last one is Carat Weight, but it's really not a huge issue here).
All 3, Cut, Color and Clarity affect the Sparkle and Beauty of a Diamond.
If one of these Qualities is lacking, it could cause the Diamond to look BAD!
This basically means, that a lower Clarity Diamond COULD look better than a higher Clarity Diamond.
Clarity in itself, is only one part of the equation. Let's take a closer look at Clarity...
Diamond Clarity
Clarity is the amount of Inclusions, Imperfections or Flaws in a Diamond. Most Inclusions are microscopic (viewed at 10x Magnification).
The only Diamonds that Clarity affects the most are the Clarities where you can SEE the Inclusions with the naked eye. Clarities like: SI2 Clarity, I1 Clarity, I2 Clarity and I3 Clarity (there is no SI3 Clarity).
All the other Clarity Grades aren't affected as much because you would have to view the Diamonds under a microscope or Jeweler's Loupe to see the Flaws.
But, the REAL Question is:
If you can see eye-visible Inclusions in an I Clarity Diamond and NOT in an SI or VS Diamond, then HOW can it look BETTER?
Because Inclusions aren't easy to see (unless they're gigantic)... Most people will have to scrutinize the stone to find them. Most can't find them unless you point them out. So Clarity in itself is NOT a big concern.
But Color... Color is something most can see. Color is a whole different story!
Diamond Color
People tend to think that most Diamonds are White in Color. Diamonds sold in the Near Colorless Range (G, H, I and J) or a Colorless Range (D, E and F) tend to ALL look White. These Colors are usually called Pure White, Off White, Fine White or just White depending on what Color you're looking at.
The truth of the matter is, most Diamonds are NOT White. They are tinted with a slight Color. Hues like: Yellow, Gray or Brown. These Colors are NOT so pretty. Just pick up any K, L or M Colored Diamond to see what I'm talking about.
A Brown Diamond can look Dirty.
A Yellow Diamond can look Old or Stained.
A Gray Diamond can look Burnt or Dark.
Diamonds with a low Color are usually not very Bright or Sparkly. Many look Dull, Dark or Lifeless.
And speaking of Dull, Dark and Lifeless, let's take a look at Cut!
Diamond Cut
Cut is the Beauty Killer!
Cut is the #1 reason why a High Quality Diamond could look Bad (And why a Low Quality Diamond could look Better).
If the Cut is off, or Poor, EVERYTHING looks worse.
If the stone is Cut too Deep or too Shallow, it loses all kinds of light. Diamonds NEED light to live. Light gives a Diamond Life and without it, the Diamond would look like any other rock: Dark and Boring!
That's why Jewelers advise buying a Diamond that's well Cut. That's why the Ideal Cut is so popular. It sparkles like a million stars in the sky. Cut matters!
The Cut is what could make a poor Clarity Diamond look good. It's all in the Proportions, Percentages, Facets and Angles! Or as Jewelers call it: The Make of the Diamond!
An I Clarity Diamond could look better than a VS Clarity Diamond. It really is impressive!
If the lower Clarity Diamond is Cut better than the higher Clarity Diamond, it WILL look Awesome! No doubt about it.
An I Clarity Diamond, with E Color can look 100% better than an SI Diamond with J Color. It's true. The I Clarity could look Bigger, Brighter and Whiter!
It's almost shocking!
Bottom Line
That's why you can't dismiss Cut or Color!
You can't just buy a Diamond because it has a great Clarity.
You MUST look at all the other C's: Cut, Color and Clarity. It's an entire package. No matter what Carat Weight you choose. Consider everything!
Otherwise you'll get a high Clarity Diamond, spend an arm and a leg on it, and still get an Ugly, Dark looking stone. What a shame!
If you want your Diamond to look good... Look at the Cut, the Color and the Clarity.
All 3 equals Beauty! :)
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