How are diamonds graded for clarity?
Diamonds are graded for clarity by trained gemologists under a loupe at 10x magnification. Clarity grades are based on the size, number and position of imperfections in a diamond. Diamonds that appear to be completely free of any surface or internal flaws under 10x magnification receive the highest clarity grades of “Flawless” (FL) or “Internally Flawless” (IF) according to the Gemological Institute of America’s (GIA) clarity grading scale. At the other end of the spectrum, diamonds with large and/or numerous blemishes and inclusions visible to the naked eye fall under one of the “Included” grades (I1, I2 or I3) under the GIA clarity grading scale.
