What are the main diamond clarity characteristics?
Firstly, the diamond may contain small internal imperfections. These may be small crystals of diamond that are not part of the main diamond but included in the body of the diamond depending on how it is ‘cut’ from the original, natural stone. In general craftsmen seek to cut the largest perfect stones they can – for high value. But many stones that are used have some small imperfection; lower class diamonds may have many of these small ‘inclusions’. Some diamonds may have larger ‘motes’, marks, crystals, small rifts or feathery effects inside them. Value is generally VERY much higher for the perfect gem, and valuations reduce substantially as ‘inclusions’ increase. A second type of clarity characteristic is surface imperfection. These may be small natural marks, or may be grazes, scratches, or where a inclusion projects through the surface of the gem. A ‘cheap’ diamond may be so crowded with small crystal imperfections that it looks almost ‘cloudy’ or full of ‘crystal bubbles’. The imp
It ranges from IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1-I3.
Read this resource on diamond clarity for more details:
Clarity in diamonds is a measure of the surface and internal uniqueness of a polished diamond that has a major impact on its value. Better clarity diamonds fetch more value in the market.
A genuine Jewelry store would give you exact details of different cuts, shapes, grades, and values placed on every diamond they sell. There is an important chart related to these criteria at www.thediamond.com– where you can also see a wide range of diamond jewelry.
Just went through this process when I purchased my now fiance’s diamond ring…
First of all, diamond clarity is a somewhat complicated characteristic. The average consumer needs only to familiarize themselves with the common clarity grades starting from IF (internally flawless) down to I (imperfect). Clarity does not affect brilliance (except for exceptional circumstances) and is best to consider "eye-clean" stones that don’t have any visible dark crystals to the naked eye. I was a total newbie to this, so this really was a very important thing for me to learn.
Most diamond websites give you very generic information about this information, and I found that the best resources are those that actually show actual pictures and video of their reviews and findings. A great resource is http://www.onlinediamondbuyingadvice.com/the-four-cs-of-diamonds/diamond-clarity/ with a ton of great information about diamonds and actual product reviews. This helped me so I thought I’d let others know about it.
I ended up getting a ring from Blue Nile, but the help and advice I received fromt his site helped me understand the buying process and how to get the most bang for my buck when it comes to buying an engagement ring online. I highly recommend it.
