Perhaps the most significant piece of jewelry one will ever select is the engagement ring. No other piece conveys so much meaning or is intended for daily, lifetime wear.
This meaningful piece of jewelry should celebrate your love, convey the value of your relationship, and reflect the brilliance of your future. Selecting a diamond with the right clarity can help you allocate your budget appropriately while ensuring your loved one enjoys a bright and luminous diamond engagement ring for life.
What are the 4Cs of Diamonds?
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created a standardized scale for diamond grading in 1953 to help buyers understand the difference between diamonds and more objectively gauge their quality. This grading system is used across the globe to describe the common characteristics of diamonds and divides these characteristics into four C-named categories: color, cut, clarity, and carat.
Today, the 4Cs are widely familiar to the general population, although not all categories are equally understood. Before you begin the hunt for the perfect diamond engagement ring, it is helpful to have a good understanding of what sets a quality diamond apart from a lesser stone. The best diamonds rank highly across the four categories:
Color: The presence of color in a diamond, which can range from colorless to light yellow with grades from D to Z. Colorless diamonds are generally preferred. Yellow diamonds exist beyond this scale but are referred to as fancy diamonds, and vividness of color is preferred.
Cut: The shape and facets that have been applied to a rough stone affect the fire and brilliance of the completed diamond. The cut refers to the correct proportions of the stone and not to the general shape, as there are many equally desirable designs.
Clarity: Absence of internal inclusions or surface blemishes
Carat: A measurement of a diamond’s weight and not of its overall visual size.
Why Does Diamond Clarity Matter in an Engagement Ring?
Of the four diamond grading categories, perhaps the most misunderstood is diamond clarity. While almost all diamonds have internal flaws, the type and number of these flaws can make a big difference in the overall look of the stone. In fact, aesthetic choices like stone shape and setting style can affect how diamond clarity is perceived and offer some creative leeway in balancing your budget with the engagement ring characteristics that matter most to you.
Often, you won’t be able to see most of a diamond’s inclusions or blemishes with the naked eye. Recall that the GIA grades diamonds while viewing under 10X magnification. We refer to diamonds without obviously visible inclusions as “eye clean.” These stones are generally graded SI1 and better and are considered high-quality options for engagement rings.
What Are Inclusions?
To understand diamond clarity, you must first understand how diamonds are created. A diamond is formed deep within the earth when carbon is exposed to intense pressure and high heat.
During this process, nearby crystals become trapped within the carbon and are included in the newly formed stone. These minerals entrapped within the diamond create irregularities known as inclusions. There are a number of different types of inclusions:
- Cavity: An opening that occurs when a feather inclusion breaks
- Cloud: A group of tiny inclusions that creates a blurred area
- Crystal: A mineral deposit
- Feather: A small fracture
- Graining: Lines that can be colored or colorless
- Needle: A long, thin mineral deposit
- Knot: A colorless mineral deposit that nears the surface of the stone
- Pinpoint: A very small mineral deposit that still looks small under 10X magnification
What Are Blemishes?
Blemishes are flaws on the surface of the diamond that occur after the diamond is formed. These blemishes are the result of mining or cutting and sometimes may be polished or cut out. Sometimes, these blemishes are left on the stone because removing them would not provide a significant visual improvement and unnecessarily remove carat weight. There are several types of blemishes:
- Abrasion: A succession of scratches that create a light, hazy area
- Chip: A thin void at the surface of the stone, often at the girdle
- Natural: Some of the original rough surface of the stone, typically found at the girdle
- Nick: A small gash
- Pit: A very small hole, often as a result of inclusions pulled from the stone during polishing
- Rough girdle: The stone’s widest point, or girdle, feels nicked or bumpy. This can be a sign of weakness and a diamond that may continue to chip.
- Scratch: A thin line across the stone’s surface, typically appearing white
What Are the Different Grades of Diamond Clarity?
The GIA grading scale for diamond clarity includes six different categories and 11 total grades ranging from Included to Flawless. These grades are determined by the inclusions visible under 10x magnification when examined by a trained eye.
The grades are based on the total number, type, size, and visibility of internal and surface flaws. The grades, from highest diamond clarity to lowest diamond clarity are:
- Flawless
- Internally Flawless
- VVS1
- VVS2
- VS1
- VS2
- SI1
- SI2
- I1
- I2
- I3
Flawless Diamond Clarity Grade
Flawless diamonds, as the name suggests, are without flaws. These extremely rare diamonds lack any inclusions or surface blemishes and, as a result, are highly prized.
While total diamond price is affected by a number of factors, buyers will note a significant price increase for stones with higher diamond clarity grades. Flawless diamonds can be priced up to 30% higher than diamonds of the next grade, Internally Flawless. It is uncommon to find an engagement ring with a flawless diamond.
Internally Flawless Diamond Clarity Grade
Internally Flawless diamonds lack inclusions within the stone but may have surface blemishes. This minor difference in diamond clarity can be difficult even for a trained eye to distinguish. Nevertheless, these slight abrasions or graining found do lower the value of an Internally Flawless diamond and may very slightly reduce its brilliance as compared to a truly Flawless diamond.
Very Very Slightly Included (VVS) Diamond Clarity Grades
Very Very Slightly Included diamonds have flaws that are so slight that they are often difficult for a skilled diamond grader to distinguish. This category of diamond clarity is further divided into two grades: VVS1 and VVS2.
Very Slightly Included (VS) Diamond Clarity Grades
Very Slightly Included diamonds have inclusions that can be seen with some examination but are considered insignificant. This category is further divided into two grades: VS1 and VS2. This category is often a favorite for engagement rings.
Slightly Included (SI) Diamond Clarity Grades
Slightly Included diamonds have inclusions that are noticeable under magnification, although they may not be visible to the untrained naked eye. Some of these diamonds are referred to as eye clean. This category is divided into grades SI1 and SI2. We suggest diamond clarity of SI1 or higher for engagement rings.
Included Diamond Clarity Grade
Included diamonds have noticeable flaws that are apparent even to the naked eye. These inclusions and blemishes will negatively affect the diamond’s appearance and durability and aren’t recommended for engagement rings but may be appropriate for stud earrings or other jewelry accents like diamond-studded watches.
Stones that are very highly included are best used for industrial applications. Included diamonds are further graded as I1, I2, or I3.
Is a Flawless Diamond Worth It?
While a flawless diamond is internally perfect, we must remember that there are 4Cs of diamond grading, and diamond clarity is only one of them. Balancing clarity with the color, cut, and carat, along with a setting you love, will have more effect than diamond clarity alone on your overall satisfaction with your engagement ring.
It’s estimated that only .5% of all diamonds are Internally Flawless. Flawless and Internally Flawless diamonds are incredibly rare and, as a result, often cost-prohibitive. Depending on the qualities that are important to you, using your budget to move from an eye-clean diamond to a flawless diamond may not be the best strategy for finding your ideal engagement ring.
Though not at the top of the diamond clarity grading chart, eye-clean and Slightly Included diamonds are far more accessible for most people’s budgets and still make stunning engagement rings. In fact, the most popular diamond clarity for engagement rings is VS1 or VS2, as these stones offer wonderful value. They are typically eye-clean while being less expensive than higher grades.
Dangers of Low Diamond Clarity
Diamond clarity grades the physical quality of the stone, not just its appearance. While a diamond may look beautiful to the naked eye, much of its monetary value is determined by the tiny imperfections noted within. Knowing how these imperfections affect value can help you make an informed choice when you select your diamond engagement ring.
Aside from price implications, poor diamond clarity can also affect stone durability. Especially noticeable inclusions will obviously affect a stone’s brilliance, but these inclusions and blemishes can also weaken the diamond and result in chipping. In an engagement ring that sees heavy daily use, this can be problematic. The girdle, or widest portion of the stone, is made particularly vulnerable by these inclusions, as this portion of the stone receives the most wear and impact through daily use.
How Can I Balance Clarity Within My Engagement Ring Budget?
Because diamond clarity is only one factor when choosing the right engagement ring, it’s best to think about your ring as a whole. If your budget is limited, choosing a lower grade clarity may allow you to select a carat weight that is larger, if that is a priority. If clarity is very important to you, choosing a smaller diamond or one with a warmer color can help you stay on budget. You can find a beautiful engagement ring with a modest budget if you prioritize well.
How Does Stone Shape Affect Perceived Clarity?
Diamonds are available in many different shapes, each with different styles and features that suit different purposes. Choosing highly faceted cuts helps mask inclusions and make a diamond seem like it has better clarity. Highly faceted cuts prioritize light dispersion and brilliance better than cuts with fewer and larger facets. Consider a brilliant cut or cushion cut diamond, as these cuts do an excellent job of reflecting light and have rounder edges that also help mask inclusions.
Large flat areas, called tables, can make inclusions more visible. Avoid cuts with large open facets that showcase the interior of the stone. The emerald cut and Asscher cut, which feature square or rectangular shapes with step-cut facets and large tables, are best reserved for stones with a higher clarity grade.
A skillful jeweler can also suggest a setting that can hide imperfections in your chosen diamond while still highlighting its fire and brilliance. A pronged setting can conceal imperfections in the girdle, while a bezel setting or halo-style ring can camouflage flaws in the pavilion or lower part of the diamond.
Lab-Grown Diamond Clarity
Because of the way that diamonds are formed, even in a controlled environment, lab-grown diamonds almost always have inclusions. Lab-grown diamonds are graded using the same standardized 11-grade scale developed by the GIA, though full grading reports for lab diamonds have only become available in recent years. Inclusions in a lab-grown diamond, however, do differ slightly from those in natural diamonds and can be differentiated under a microscope.
Depending on the method used to produce a lab-grown diamond, these inclusions may be composed of remnants of flux or of undissolved carbon. Despite its visual similarity, a man-made diamond will not hold the same monetary value as a natural diamond of the same clarity. Often, a lab-grown diamond will have a distinguishing mark engraved on its girdle to help protect future buyers.
What Diamond Clarity Levels Can I Find in a Fink’s Diamond?
Almost all Fink’s diamonds have been graded by the GIA and then further examined by our in-house gemologists to provide our customers with only the most beautiful stones for their engagement rings. Fink’s is dedicated to ensuring your milestone moments sparkle with only the best diamonds, and that is why all of our engagement ring diamonds are eye-clean and graded SI2 or better.
A milestone as significant as an engagement should be marked with special care and a ring designed for life. Your local Fink’s Jeweler can guide you in selecting your ideal engagement ring style and help you determine how diamond clarity fits into your budget and priorities.
