{"id":8887,"date":"2022-12-14T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=8887"},"modified":"2022-12-14T13:05:01","modified_gmt":"2022-12-14T18:05:01","slug":"is-diamond-clarity-really-that-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/is-diamond-clarity-really-that-important\/","title":{"rendered":"IS DIAMOND CLARITY REALLY THAT IMPORTANT?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"blog-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Diamond-Clarity-Importance.gif\" alt=\"Is Diamond Clarity Important?\" title=\"Is Diamond Clarity Important?\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-8888\" \/><\/div>\n<h2>How important is diamond clarity?<\/h2>\n<p>\nShould you worry about clarity?<\/p>\n<p>\nWell, on a scale of 1-10 (<strong>10 being the best<\/strong>), <strong>I would give clarity a rating of 4<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><h2>Only a 4?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Surprised?<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Don&#8217;t be.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nThe reason I give clarity a 4 is based upon some <strong>strong key points:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anything <strong>SI1 or higher<\/strong> in clarity basically looks the same to the bare eye<\/li>\n<li>Out of the 4C&#8217;s, <strong>clarity affects the beauty of the diamond the least<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><h2>Let me explain&#8230;<\/h2>\n<p><strong>First off&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><h2>Most clarities look the same:<\/h2>\n<p>\nAny diamond in the SI1 clarity range or higher; FL, IF, VVS, and VS, all have one thing in common; <strong>the inclusions are microscopic only.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>\nYou will <strong>not<\/strong> see any inclusions, dark spots, lines, clouds, or pinpoints with the unaided eye. You&#8217;ll need to view the diamond under 10x magnification (with a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Edr9HQ\">microscope<\/a> or a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2kwSI5G\">10x jeweler&#8217;s loupe<\/a>) in order to see any flaws.<\/p>\n<p>Which means, it will be <strong>difficult to tell the difference<\/strong> between these diamonds just by looking at them.<\/p>\n<p>You can place an SI1 clarity diamond next to a flawless diamond and I would wager that <strong>you could not tell the difference<\/strong>. I know, I&#8217;ve tested this out with customers before, and I&#8217;ve even wrote a whole post about it: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/si1-clarity-or-flawless-diamond\/\">SI1 versus flawless clarity<\/a>). <strong>You can&#8217;t tell.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Now, under a <strong>microscope or jeweler&#8217;s loupe<\/strong>, sure, you&#8217;ll see a difference. But how many times are you really going to microscope your diamond?<\/p>\n<p>As long as you purchase an SI1 clarity or higher, no one will know. <strong>You could tell them your diamond was flawless<\/strong> and they would believe you (unless they scoped it).<\/p>\n<p><h2>But&#8230; <\/h2>\n<p>\nAnd this is a <strong>big <\/strong>but, <strong>you must make sure the diamond is certified<\/strong>. Anything SI1 or higher <strong>must<\/strong> be certified to guarantee quality. I recommend GIA certification, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesallen.com\/loose-diamonds\/round-cut\/?Color=H,G,F,E,D&#038;Cut=Ideal,TrueHearts&#038;Clarity=SI1,VS2,VS1,VVS2,VVS1,IF,FL&#038;PriceFrom=200&#038;PriceTo=999000&#038;CaratFrom=1.00&#038;CaratTo=15.00&#038;Sort=Price&#038;Polish=EX&#038;Symmetry=EX&#038;Lab=GIA&#038;Flour=None?a_aid=JSDG\">like these diamonds here<\/a>. <strong>GIA <\/strong>is the best in the industry. <strong>They wrote the book on diamonds<\/strong> and diamond grading.<\/p>\n<p><h2>Clarity affects diamond beauty the least:<\/h2>\n<p>Most people feel clarity is of utmost importance. A lot of jeweler&#8217;s tend to push clarity more than anything (I believe it&#8217;s because<strong> it&#8217;s an easy C to explain<\/strong>. People get it). But, like I just pointed out, unless you microscope the diamond, you <strong>won&#8217;t<\/strong> see any difference.<\/p>\n<p>The beauty of a diamond is usually only affected by clarity <strong>if the clarity is low<\/strong> (like <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesallen.com\/loose-diamonds\/round-cut\/?Color=H,G,F,E,D&#038;Cut=Ideal,TrueHearts&#038;Clarity=I1&#038;PriceFrom=200&#038;PriceTo=999000&#038;CaratFrom=1.00&#038;CaratTo=15.00&#038;Sort=Price&#038;Polish=EX&#038;Symmetry=EX&#038;Lab=GIA&#038;Flour=None?a_aid=JSDG\">I clarity diamonds<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>If you buy an I clarity diamond (<strong>I1, I2, or I3<\/strong>) that has a lot of black spots (<strong>that look like pepper<\/strong>) in the stone, or if the stone is cracked, fractured, or cloudy, then sure, <strong>clarity will overpower beauty<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nBut if you read my posts enough, you&#8217;ll know that <strong>I do not recommend<\/strong> buying any diamond lower than an SI1 in clarity (<strong>SI2 clarity is questionable<\/strong> &#8211; <strong>SI3&#8217;s don&#8217;t exist<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<p>If you stick with SI1, <strong>beauty will not be an issue.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><h2>Beauty is determined more by:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>How much <strong>fire and brilliance<\/strong> is in the stone<\/li>\n<li>How <strong>white<\/strong> the stone is<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These two areas are ruled by <strong>cut and color<\/strong>. They help give a diamond its <strong>stunning beauty and sparkle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>If a diamond is cut well, like an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/ideal-cut-diamonds\/\">ideal cuts<\/a> or close to it, it will maximize the diamond with both brilliance and fire (flashes of white light and flashes of colored light). If the stone is cut poorly, <strong>the diamond will leak light<\/strong> and look dull, dark and lifeless.<\/p>\n<p><h2>Color too&#8230;<\/h2>\n<p>\nColor affects the beauty of a diamond because a white color always looks brighter. <\/p>\n<p>\nIf a diamond has a yellow cast to it, or even a brown cast (<strong>J color or lower<\/strong>), then a diamond will give the appearance that it&#8217;s <strong>stained, dark, dirty, or old<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p>\nThat&#8217;s why I recommend buying a diamond with a color no less than G or H (I color is Iffy, some look white, some look slightly off white, or even <strong>yellow<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<p>Buying a diamond with a G-H color or higher can really add a brightness and whiteness to your stone. <strong>A white stone will make it stand out and &#8216;POP&#8217; in the mounting<\/strong>. You&#8217;d be surprised how much color can change the look and feel of a diamond.<\/p>\n<p><h2>On a scale of 1-10:<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Cut = 9\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Color = 7\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Find a cut that&#8217;s close to ideal cut (stones that get an <strong>&#8220;excellent&#8221; grade by GIA<\/strong>), and it will have great shine. <\/p>\n<p>Choose a color that&#8217;s fine white (G or H) or pure white (D, E, or F) and your diamond will look stunning (<strong>my favorite is E-F color<\/strong>). Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/diamond-color-e-f-colorless-diamonds\/\">E-F colorless diamonds<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, pick a clarity that&#8217;s <strong>SI1 or higher<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>These pointers will give your diamond tons of sparkle, brilliance, and fire. Not to mention <strong>beauty.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>\nAll the things that give a diamond <strong>life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What more could you ask for?<\/p>\n<p>\nSee some <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesallen.com\/loose-diamonds\/round-cut\/?Color=F,E,D&#038;Cut=Ideal,TrueHearts&#038;Clarity=SI1,VS2,VS1,VVS2,VVS1,IF,FL&#038;PriceFrom=200&#038;PriceTo=999000&#038;CaratFrom=1.00&#038;CaratTo=15.00&#038;Sort=Price&#038;Polish=EX&#038;Symmetry=EX&#038;Lab=GIA&#038;Flour=None?a_aid=JSDG\">wonderful SI1+, colorless diamonds here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Cheers! :)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>How important is diamond clarity? Should you worry about clarity? Well, on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best), I would give clarity a rating of 4. Only a 4? Surprised? Don&#8217;t be. The <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/is-diamond-clarity-really-that-important\/\" title=\"IS DIAMOND CLARITY REALLY THAT IMPORTANT?\">[Read More&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,7,29,3,10,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-certification","category-clarity","category-diamond-guide","category-diamonds","category-engagement","category-guides"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8887"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}