Diamond Clarity

Clarity determines how clean a diamond is. Nearly all diamonds, lab-grown and mined alike, have inclusions. These are imperfections that contribute to the overall uniqueness of a diamond, and commonly consist of crystals, feathers, clouds and trace minerals in mined diamonds, and trace metals in lab-grown diamonds.

Diamonds are graded on a clarity scale based on the number, size and type of inclusions, as determined by a gemologist.

FL/IF	Flawless or Internally Flawless - No visible inclusions or imperfections with 10x magnification
VVS	Very Very Slightly Included - Inclusions difficult to see with 10x magnification
VS	Very Slightly Included - Inclusions seen with 10x magnification
SI	Slightly Included - Inclusions easily seen with 10x magnification, but not visible through the crown with the unaided eye
I	Included - Inclusions easily seen with the unaided eye

Within a category, a "1" grading has fewer or smaller inclusions than a "2".

D.NEA does not list "I" clarity diamonds however we do have some available. Please contact us if you are interested in "I" clarity diamonds.

What is the "right" clarity?

Clarity, just like color and shape are mainly personal preferences and there is no "right" or "wrong" clarity.

Chart comparing a .50ct diamond with different clarity

Clarity from FL to VS have an affect on the value of the diamond, but do not have an affect on the unmagnified appearance.

SI clarity diamonds should not have inclusions visible to the naked eye, when viewed through the crown. While SI does have inclusions, they are usually "eye-clean", so provide an excellent value. Any obvious inclusions can usually be seen in our actual diamond photographs, which show the diamond at greater than 10x magnification.

Furthermore, inclusions in blue diamonds are more difficult to see, due to the color, than comparable inclusions in a colorless diamond. Though each diamond is different, SI clarity blue diamonds are usually very eye-clean.

D.NEA does not offer "I" clarity diamonds. These inclusions are usually large and detrimental to the visual appearance of the diamond.

Misconceptions

It is a common misconception that all lab-grown diamonds are flawless. We merely replicate conditions diamond crystals naturally grow under. Inclusions are present in nearly all HPHT lab-grown diamonds. Though they are metallic, they are still graded on the same clarity scale. Most of our diamonds are VS clarity.

Additional Information: