Great Diamond

Diamond Clarity

Clarity is the measure of the number and size of imperfections within a diamond, or as they're more commonly known, inclusions.

Almost all diamonds contain small traces of carbon, the element from which they were born. These inclusions are nature's finger print and make every diamond quite unique. They occur naturally within the diamond while they're being formed. Most are not discernible to the naked eye and require 10X magnification and can only be seen using a diamond loupe.

Understanding Clarity

Large inclusions interfere with the dispersion of light and therefore the diamond's brilliance. Each diamond will have its own unique inclusions in various positions within the diamond. The major factors that determine the clarity grade is size, number, position and nature of the flaws. Combination of these factors rather than any one of these factors enables a grader to determine exact clarity of a diamond. These imperfections are often referred as feathers, pin points, bubble, carbon, graining etc.

Clarity grade is a strong factor in the value of a diamond. Better the clarity grade, more valuable the diamond. The value of the diamond increases exponentially as clarity grade increases.

Clarity Scale

Please note that above chart is for Round brilliant diamonds. It holds true for all other shape diamonds except that SI2 clarity may have visible inclusions for some of the princess, fancy shape diamonds.

We would like to bring to your attention clarity grading for emerald diamonds. Here, SI2 clarity will have visible inclusions and even SI1 clarity are probable to have some visible inclusions so we strongly recommend VS2 clarity or above if you want eye clean emerald shape diamonds.

Which clarity grade is for me?

We always recommend selecting at least an 'eye clean diamond' i.e SI2 or above. This will ensure that your diamond has a great sparkle and you won't have to keep worrying about visible marks in the stone.

If you're looking for a good value diamond we recommend anything in the SI-VS clarity range. These diamonds are eye clean and have a great sparkle.

However, if you wish to purchase something outstanding quality, then go for VVS. They will certainly get you lot of compliments. Often, it's a trade-off between size and quality. For example, 0.5ct Si clarity diamond will be close to 0.4ct VS clarity or 0.3ct VVS clarity prices. It really comes down to what you prefer- Bigger diamond with eye clean clarity and good sparkle OR slightly smaller diamond which dazzles all and sundry?

Clarity is just one of the 4c's to concern yourself with; you need to ensure you're getting a great mix of clarity, colour, carat and cut.

If you're still unsure about what you would like to purchase then contact us on sales@greatdiamondgemsandjewellery.co.mm or 0121 200 1300.