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Diamond Education
Learn About Diamond Clarity
Learn how diamond clarity affects beauty, rarity and value—and how to choose an eye-clean diamond confidently.
Everything You Need to Know About Diamond Clarity
Cushion, Radiant, Round and Oval Diamonds
Diamond clarity describes the natural inclusions and surface characteristics found in a diamond. These tiny features make every stone unique and can influence its rarity and price.
› What exactly is diamond clarity?
Diamonds with large inclusions and blemishes have poor clarity. Diamonds with small (or no) inclusions or blemishes have good clarity. The position, size and visibility of inclusions can have a huge impact on its clarity and price.
It’s important to note though: clarity has nothing to do with the brilliance and sparkle of a diamond. What could affect a stone’s sparkle factor is cut, which you can read more about under the ‘Cut’ article.
Diamond Clarity Grades
Clarity can impact the price of a diamond, which tends to be a top consideration for most diamond buyers. Only the most rare and expensive diamonds have no inclusions. Unless you recently won the lottery, you may want to find out more about optimizing clarity and minimizing cost!
A more affordable way to get diamonds with little to no inclusions is to go lab-grown.Lab-grown diamondsstill have inclusions, butyou'll more easily find diamonds with high clarity grades at an affordable price point.
FL, IF
Internally flawless
VVS1
Very very slightly included
VVS2
Very very slightly included
VS1, VS2
Very slightly included
SI1, SI2
Slightly included
I1, I2, I3
Included
Diamond Clarity Grades
Diamond clarity is commonly described using internationally recognized grading categories.
| Clarity grade | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Flawless (FL) | No inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification |
| Internally Flawless (IF) | No internal inclusions visible under 10x magnification |
| Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) | Minute inclusions that are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification |
| Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) | Minor inclusions that range from difficult to somewhat easy to see under 10x magnification |
| Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) | Noticeable inclusions that may be visible under 10x magnification |
| Included (I1, I2 and I3) | Obvious inclusions that may affect brilliance and transparency |
› Eye-clean: the only diamond clarity grade that (really) matters
A diamond that is 'eye-clean' is one that has no imperfections visible to the naked eye. This is the only thing you should be after (unless you’re a professional diamond trader). Spend your money on size, not on clarity. Go for the minimum clarity: eye-clean. SI1 diamonds are usually eye-clean but to make absolutely sure, use our 3D preview tool to see for yourself. If you go for a brilliant cut diamond, a below-SI1 clarity may not be an issue as the sparkle will obscure the inclusions and blemishes.
Low sparkle cuts like the Asscher generally need to have a higher clarity to avoid visible imperfections. For step-cuts, we don’t recommend going for clarity less than VS. If you want to splurge, we suggest doing so on cut; not on clarity.
› Cut First, Clarity Later
If your cut is poor, it doesn’t matter how clean the diamond is. It’ll look lifeless and crummy. So don’t spend the bulk of your budget on clarity, allocate your budget mostly to cut and carat size.
Conclusion
You do not need the highest clarity grade to find a beautiful diamond. Focus on choosing an eye-clean stone with an excellent cut and a balance that suits your preferences and budget.
