{"id":28620,"date":"2019-06-15T09:59:51","date_gmt":"2019-06-15T13:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=28620"},"modified":"2019-06-15T16:23:51","modified_gmt":"2019-06-15T20:23:51","slug":"chips-and-cracks-are-inclusions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/chips-and-cracks-are-inclusions\/","title":{"rendered":"CHIPS AND CRACKS ARE INCLUSIONS"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Diamond<\/div>\n

People think that if a new diamond is cracked, that it’s crappy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n“The jeweler sold me a broken diamond!<\/strong>“<\/p>\n

\nThey got ripped off!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nThey blame the jeweler for selling them worthless junk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But this is not the case…<\/h2>\n

\nBecause most chips<\/strong>, fractures, cracks<\/strong>, nicks and breaks <\/strong>were done billions <\/strong>of years ago (like a knot in a tree). They are identifying marks<\/strong> in the diamond, and are now just specific types of inclusions or flaws<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n\"Chipped<\/p>\n

\nNatural flaws<\/strong> like these have been in the diamond forever, and will stay like this forever. They’re like birthmarks<\/strong>, moles, and freckles<\/strong> on people. They were created when the stone was born. And these characteristics are normal in lower clarity diamonds<\/strong>, and will be graded just like any other inclusions, imperfections, or blemishes. They appear on the diamond reports<\/strong> and plots, and affect the overall grade<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nAny diamond that’s included (I1, I2 and I3<\/strong>) could have some sort of fault, or visible flaw<\/strong> (I3 is the worst)…<\/p>\n

\n\"Included<\/p>\n

\nI clarity means eye-visible flaws<\/strong>. And any included stone could have something that looks like a crack<\/strong>, break or fissure<\/strong>. It’s not the jeweler’s fault, it’s Mother Nature<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nGranted chips and cracks can still occur in diamonds today (one good strike at just the right angle and force could do it). You could hit the diamond and break it, sure. But that’s after the fact<\/strong>. I’m talking about buying a brand new diamond<\/strong> in the store and seeing that it’s cracked (most people call a diamond cracked when it’s not<\/strong>. It’s usually just lines in the stone, or a nick or natural on the girdle) when you get it home and inspect it more carefully<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nPeople buy these lower clarity diamonds because they either weren’t informed <\/strong>about the clarity grade, didn’t ask, or care what it was, or were just attracted to the price<\/strong>. I clarity diamonds are cheaper. Much cheaper<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

\nThe best way to prevent this, of course, is to learn about clarity<\/strong>, ask what the grade of the diamonds are, and don’t be suckered by a low price tag<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

You get what you pay for.<\/h2>\n

\nNow, not all I clarity diamonds will have these types of flaws. Flaws can be anything; pinpoints<\/strong>, feathers, cloudy areas<\/strong>, naturals… The most common flaw is the black carbon spot<\/strong>. So when buying diamonds, it’s important to magnify them and compare stones<\/strong>. Look for any glaring flaws that might distract from the beauty<\/strong> of the stone. It’s usually advised to stick with SI clarity diamonds instead<\/a>. SI diamonds (SI1 and SI2<\/strong>) are cleaner and face up much nicer.<\/p>\n

Compare the two diamonds below:<\/h2>\n

\n\"Compare<\/p>\n

\nSI or higher (I recommend SI1<\/a>) puts you into a diamond that has invisible flaws<\/strong>. The only way to see them is with a microscope<\/a> or a 10x jeweler’s loupe<\/a>. Keep in mind, SI clarity does cost more<\/strong>… Which is to be expected. But with diamonds, there is always a balancing act<\/strong> between price <\/strong>and appearance<\/strong>.\nView and compare the two qualities below:<\/h2>\n

\n<\/p>\n