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Diamond Clarity

Diamond clarity refers to the presence of internal or external characteristics, graded from flawless to included, with higher clarity stones being more rare.

 

Clarity is essentially a measure of how many tiny natural marks, known as ‘inclusions’, are found within a diamond. These inclusions form as the diamond is formed, making each stone unique. While almost all diamonds contain them, many are so small they can only be seen under magnification.

 

Flawless diamonds, without any visible inclusions even under 10x magnification, are exceptionally rare and therefore more valuable. Most diamonds, however, fall within the standard clarity scale, and the majority of inclusions are invisible to the naked eye – meaning your diamond will still appear beautifully clear.


Diamond Clarity Grade List

FL / IF (Flawless / Internally Flawless)

Flawless has has no internal or magnification. They are exceptionally rare and represent the highest possible clarity grade and can only be found using our diamond selector tool.


IF (Internally Flawless)

Internally Flawless diamonds contain no internal inclusions, but may show very minor surface blemishes under 20x magnification. Like Flawless stones, they are extremely rare and highly valuable and cant be found via our diamond selector tool.


VVS1 (Very Very Slightly Included 1)

VVS1 diamonds contain extremely minute inclusions that can only be seen under 20x magnification, making them appear flawless to the naked eye.


VVS2 (Very Very Slightly Included 2)

VVS2 diamonds also contain minute inclusions, slightly more than VVS1, but still only visible under 20x magnification and never without specialist equipment.


VS1 (Very Slightly Included 1)

VS1 diamonds have slightly larger inclusions than VVS grades, but these are only visible under 10x magnification and remain invisible without magnification.


VS2 (Very Slightly Included 2)

VS2 diamonds contain a few more noticeable inclusions than VS1, but these are still only visible under 10x magnification and not with the naked eye.


SI1 (Slightly Included 1)

SI1 diamonds have inclusions that are larger or more numerous, but we guarantee all SI1 diamonds are eye clean (with the exception of Emerald cuts). Many jewellers do not offer this reassurance, so if you are selecting through our diamond feed, please contact us to confirm your chosen stone meets this standard.


SI2 (Slightly Included 2)

SI2 diamonds are the lowest clarity we offer at Purely Diamonds. Stones over 0.30ct may show inclusions visible to the naked eye, but they remain an excellent choice for earrings or pendants where the diamond is not examined as closely as in a ring.


Further Information for SI Clarity Grades

SI1 Clarity

If you select a diamond graded SI1 or above, it will be ‘eye-clean’, meaning the inclusions are too small to see without using magnification (This doesn’t apply to Emerald cut diamonds).

 


Please Note: This is not always the case with SI1 diamonds, Purely Diamonds specifically source SI1 stones that are eye-clean. Most other jewellers do not supply eye-clean SI1 diamonds.

SI2 Clarity

Diamonds that are 0.30ct – 2.00ct (individually): If you select a diamond that is graded SI2 clarity, there will likely be some visible marks in the stone. They won’t necessarily be obvious to the naked eye but if you inspect the stone closely you might see some inclusions.

 

Diamonds smaller than 0.29ct (individually): Individual diamonds 0.29ct and under are all guaranteed to be eye clean. This means all single stone engagement rings, cluster style or wedding/eternity rings that contain diamonds smaller than 0.29ct (per diamond) will not contain any visible imperfections to the naked eye. To clarify; a half eternity ring that is displayed as 0.50ct total weight and has 10 diamonds will be eye clean as individually the diamonds are only 0.05ct each.


What Clarity Grade Is Right For Me?

  • - If clarity is important to you but your budget doesn’t allow for VVS1 or VVS2, you should consider VS1-VS2. Diamonds graded VS1 or VS2 appear flawless to the naked eye but are less expensive than VVS1/VVS2.

  • - Our most popular choice of clarity is SI1 or SI2, the reason for this is although these are two of the lower grades available, SI1 stones will be ‘eye-clean’ so you won’t see any marks in the diamond. SI2 stones will often have visible marks/inclusions but they represent very good value for money as you often can’t see the marks unless you inspect the diamond closely.  

  • - If you value size over clarity, SI1/SI2 stones are your best option, however if you value clarity over size, you might choose a VS or VVS graded stone in a smaller carat weight. Example – a 0.60ct SI2 graded stone might be a similar price to a 0.50ct VS2 graded stone.

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