DIAMOND CLARITY TEST

Have you been studying Diamond Clarity?

Think you know enough?

If you’ve been looking at stones underneath a microscope and want to see if you understand it all, this test is for you!

I have devised a fun, fast, quiz that will pick your brain. Most questions are multiple choice questions, some are true and false, and others will be your best answer.

Taking tests like this will really show you if you know enough about Clarity and comprehend the basic concepts.

Clarity affects the Diamond Quality in a big way. Knowing about Clarity can help you decide between 2 particular stones. Understanding it all can help you choose the best stone for the best price.

Good luck on the test. Answers are at the end… No peeking!

Diamond Clarity Test

Grab a pencil and paper, write your answers down. Questions are worth 1 Point each. There are 28 questions. See how well you stack up to an Expert Diamontologist! :)

Let’s begin…

Question 1

What Clarity listed below is considered eye-clean?

1. I1
2. SI1
3. I2
4. I3

Question 2

Eye-Clean means that the Inclusions in an I Clarity stone are clean?

1. T
2. F

Question 3

Clarity is the most important issue as far as the 4C’s are concerned?

1. T
2. F

Question 4

If a Diamond is Cut poor, the Clarity of a stone is more visible?

1. T
2. F

Question 5

Which Clarity is the Diamond shown below?

1. VVS1
2. VS1
3. SI1
4. I1

Question 6

Half of the Diamond market is made up of which Clarity Range?

1. I Clarity
2. SI Clarity
3. VS Clarity
4. VVS Clarity

Question 7

The Clarity Grade “Externally Flawless” means that there are no visible Inclusions on the outside of the stone?

1. T
2. F

Question 8

The best Color of Inclusion to have is what Color?

1. Black
2. White
3. Clear
4. Blue

Question 9

It’s easier to see Inclusions in a small Carat Weight Diamond?

1. T
2. F

Question 10

On the GIA Clarity Chart, SI3 means that you can only see the Inclusions from the bottom view of the Diamond?

1. T
2. F

Question 11

The best magnification to view a Diamond’s Flaws with is what?

1. 5x
2. 10x
3. 20x
4. 30x

Question 12

VS Clarity Means?

1. Very Significant Inclusions
2. Very Small 1 Inclusion
3. Very Subtle Imperfections
4. Very Slightly Included

Question 13

The Clarity shown below is what Clarity?

1. FL
2. IF
3. SI2
4. I2

Question 14

In an I2 Clarity Diamond most Inclusions are off to the side of the stone?

1. T
2. F

Question 15

There are usually only 2 visible flaws in a VS2 Clarity Diamond?

1. T
2. F

Question 16

Flawless Diamonds cannot have any Inclusions?

1. T
2. F

Question 17

Which of the 3 stones below is an SI1?

1. A
2. B
3. C

Question 18

An SI1 Diamond could look just like a VS2 Diamond?

1. T
2. F

Question 19

How many GIA Clarity Grades are there in all?

1. 10
2. 11
3. 12
4. 13

Question 20

Diamond Plots are great because they will show you all of the Inclusions inside of a Diamond?

1. T
2. F

Question 21

If you can easily spot Inclusions under 10x magnification, what Clarity must the Diamond be?

1. IF
2. VS1
3. VVS2
4. SI1

Question 22

Which Diamond shown below is SI2 Clarity?

1. A
2. B
3. C

Question 23

I3 Diamonds are the most popular of the I Clarity stones?

1. T
2. F

Question 24

Clarity Enhanced Diamonds not only make a Diamond look better, but it makes them stronger as well?

1. T
2. F

Question 25

You view a Diamond Ring with your un-aided eye and see no visible Inclusions in the stone. You can deduct that… (choose the BEST answer)?

1. The Diamond is VS Clarity or better
2. The Inclusions are hidden underneath the prongs
3. The stone must be Certified
4. The Clarity is at least SI2

BONUS QUESTIONS

Below are some Bonus Questions that are worth 2 Points a piece. Add them to your score to see what you get…

Question 26

If you Chip your Diamond on the edge of the Girdle, if affects the Clarity of your stone?

1. T
2. F

Question 27

Microscopes are harder for customers to use than Diamond Loupes?

1. T
2. F

Question 28

Take a look at the Clarity below. What Clarity is this?

ANSWERS

No fair peeking if you haven’t really tested yourself. :)

The answers to the test are as follows:

1) B – SI1 – Diamonds SI2 or higher are considered Eye-Clean.

2) B – False – I Clarity Diamonds have Eye-Visible Inclusions in them.

3) B – False – Cut is the most important aspect!

4) A – True – A better Cut Diamond will hide Flaws with its Sparkle, where as a Poor Cut Diamond will show them more.

5) D – The Diamond shown in the image is an I1 Clarity Diamond from James Allen. This Diamond actually faces up very well, but the long feather looks obvious to the eye and almost looks like a crack.

6) A – I Clarity Diamonds make up just about half of the Diamond Market and what you see in stores today.

7) B – False – There is no Clarity called Externally Flawless… but there is Internally Flawless! ;)

8) B – If you must have Inclusions in the stone, White Inclusions are the best. There is no such Color called Clear!

9) B – False – It’s easier to see Flaws in a Big stone (large Carat Weight).

10) B – False – There is no SI3 on a GIA Clarity Chart!

11) B – 10x is the correct and best magnification to use when viewing or grading Diamonds.

12) D – VS means: Very Slightly Included

13) C – SI2 is the Clarity of the Diamond shown in the picture. This Diamond faces up extremely well. More than most SI2s. It could fool a lot of people. What’s important to note here is that while it has no huge Inclusions that can be seen from the top-down view, one or more of these Inclusions will be able to be seen from the side view. That’s what makes it an SI2. SI2 Clarity Diamond from James Allen. The easiest way to choose between the 4 Clarities shown is deductive reasoning. With the Inclusions shown, it clearly is not Flawless or Internally Flawless. That leaves just SI2 or I2, and generally I2 Clarity Stones will be much worse. :)

14) B – False – I2 Clarity means that there are more Inclusions in the stone that are eye-visible, and many of these fall directly under the Table, or center of the stone.

15) B – False – VS2 means the Inclusions are very small, it has nothing to do with the amount of them in the stone.

16) B – False – Flawless Diamonds could have Inclusions called Blemishes on the outside of the stone.

17) A – This is not that easy. All 3 Diamond Plots show just a few Inclusions. At first glance, at least 2 of these could be an SI1. But one Diamond is an SI1, another a VS2 and the last is an I1 Clarity Diamond. See how close they appear? A is an SI1 Clarity Diamond. B is an I1. C is a VS2.

18) A – True – Some SI1 Clarity Diamonds fall so close to the VS2 range that they are hard to tell the difference between them. Likewise, an SI1 stone could also fall towards the bottom of the range and appear just like an SI2 as well. :)

19) B – There are 11 Clarity Grades: FL, IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2, and I3.

20) B – False – Diamond Plots show most or all of the Inclusions in a Diamond. But sometimes extra Inclusions are listed under the Comments section of a GIA Diamond Report.

21) D – SI1 Clarity has Inclusions in the stone that are easily seen under 10x magnification.

22) B – SI2 is the B Diamond. I1 Clarity is A. As well as I1 Clarity is C. See what I mean about some SI2’s will look like I1’s and some I1’s will look just like SI2’s? It’s all based upon opinion!

23) B – False – I1 is the most popular Clarity of the I Clarity Range, and that’s because it’s the cleanest of the bunch.

24) B – False – While Clarity Enhanced Diamonds (frowned upon by the Diamond Industry) do make a Diamond appear cleaner, it also leaves a tiny drill hole in the Diamond which also makes it weaker!

25) D – If you see no Inclusions with the naked eye, it’s safe to say either your eyes are bad, or the Clarity of the Diamond is at least SI2 or higher!

26) A – True – A Chipped, Cracked, Nicked or Broken Diamond does affect the Clarity Grade of the stone.

27) B – False – Microscopes makes viewing a stone easier. Hand-held Loupes are generally much harder for a customer to control.

28) VS1 – If you guessed VS1 as the correct Clarity Grade of the Diamond shown, you would be correct! VS1 Clarity is my favorite Clarity! They are beautiful stones, very clean and very stunning! Check it out from James Allen! You can’t get much better than that! :)

Grade Your Points!

Grade your points and see what your score is.

Out of 31 possible points, this is what it all means…

0-5 Points = Diamond Novice

6-10 Points = Diamond Rookie

11-15 Points = Diamond Scholar

16-20 Points = Diamond Specialist

21-25 Points = Diamond Master

26-31 Points = Expert Diamontologist

One of the most important things to take away from all of these lessons is that Clarity is not cut and dry. As you can see from the examples above, people’s opinion can be as different as there are Diamonds. Each one is unique in nature and has to be judged independently. And even then, Clarity is always a borderline issue. That’s why Certification is grand and strongly advised. I wouldn’t buy a Solitaire Diamond without one! :)

If you liked this quiz, let me know in the comments section below.

If you loved this quiz, make sure to share it with your friends and family. :)

Thanks much!