Diamond Engagement Rings: Clarity Explained

One of the things you’ll learn about as you shop for diamond engagement rings is clarity. Clarity is one of the most important aspects of the diamond and it has a lot to do with how valuable the diamond is. So what exactly is clarity? Clarity refers to how flawless the diamond is. Since few diamonds are actually flawless, there are several levels of clarity. Knowing how your diamond is graded for clarity is important so let’s look a little further.

While there are some truly flawless diamonds, most diamond engagement rings have at least some blemishes, or inclusions as they are most often referred to. Each diamond is graded according to how many inclusions it has. One thing to realize, though, is that these inclusions may not be visible to the naked eye. While you may see the flaws on the lowest quality diamonds, many diamonds that have flaws are not visible to the naked eye. In fact, when gemologists grade the diamonds, they are doing so under ten times magnification so even when the diamond grade reveals slight flaws, you are not going to see them. Most important, the woman you give the ring to will not see the flaws.

If a diamond has no visible flaws under ten times magnification, it is graded as F, which stands for flawless. These will be the most expensive diamonds. Right next to flawless diamonds are those graded IF, which stands for internally flawless. According to the experts, flawless and internally flawless diamonds are extremely rare as most diamonds will have some type of flaw or blemish. Diamonds that have very, very slight flaws under the same level of magnification are graded as VVS1 and VVS2.

The next grade of diamond clarity is VS1 and VS2, which stands for very slightly included. Included is the term used to mean that the diamond includes blemishes. Remember, though, that all diamonds are graded under ten times magnification and so many of the flaws are invisible to the naked eye.

Slightly included is the next grade for diamond clarity. Slightly included means that the blemishes are obvious under ten times magnification. The last grade is included, which means the blemishes are even more obvious under ten times magnification. Still, there are many diamond engagement rings that have blemishes that can be hidden by the setting that you choose and this is something to think about for those who are on a budget.