The Essential 4C's
Natural diamonds formed for hundreds and thousands of years deep underground and under extreme pressure and heat, imperfections can form in the crystal structure and mineral impurities become trapped inside the stone.
The size of these impurities and imperfections determines the clarity of a diamond. Diamonds without such impurities are very rare. LV’57DIAMONDS does not sell diamonds below SI2 because they are not considered suitable for jewellery. In general, VS2 grade diamonds are likely to have inclusions not visible to the naked eye, however these inclusions can only be seen with a 10x loupe.
- Flawless (FL) No inclusions and no spots visible under 10x magnification
- Internal Flawless (IF) No visible inclusions under 10x magnification
- Very, Very Few Inclusions (VVS 1 and VVS 2 ) Inclusions so small that they are difficult for a skilled grader to see at 10x magnification
- Very Few Inclusions (VS 1 and VS 2 ) Inclusions are seen with effort under 10x magnification but can be characterised as minor
- Slightly included (SI 1 and SI 2 ) Inclusions are visible at 10x magnification
- Inclusions (I 1 , I 2 and I 3 ) Inclusions are evident under 10x magnification, which can affect transparency and brilliance
Certified flawless and internally flawless diamonds are extremely rare. The difference between the two is that Internally Flawless (IF) diamonds like FL are 100% flawless on the inside, but IF diamonds will contain surface grain on the outside. These are not technically considered a flaw, but are the only point of differentiation between the extremely rare Flawless and very rare IF clarity grades. FL or IF diamonds may also be referred to as ‘LC’ meaning ‘Cleaned Magnifier’.
A diamond of this clarity would have a small inclusion that can only be located using a powerful microscope. This degree of clarity guarantees that the inclusion is invisible even under a 10x magnifying glass. This degree of sharpness is almost as rare as IF sharpness, and as such is highly prized, although not quite as expensive.
VVS2 diamonds would have only two tiny inclusions and, consistent with the VVS1 classification, only a microscope would identify the inclusions. However, expert graders may be able to find a VVS2 inclusion using a 10x magnifying glass, but the VVS2 still offers a very high level of clarity and is a less expensive price than a VVS1.
VS1 diamonds have some very small inclusions that are not visible to the naked eye and can be located, often with difficulty, using a 10x magnifying glass. VS1 clarity diamonds are an excellent choice because they are still clean to the eye while being less expensive than the VVS grades.
VS2 diamonds have a number of tiny inclusions that, like VS1 grade, can only be located using a 10x magnifying glass. VS2 clarity is extremely popular because it is the last grade that practically guarantees a clean diamond for the eyes. 95% of the time, VS2 diamonds are clean to the eye. Rare exceptions may include VS2 diamonds on EGL or IGI certificates (extremely rare on IGI) and in some cases Emerald and Asscher cut diamonds, which may not always be clean to the eye, even on GIA certificates. The type of inclusions here would generally be two small inclusions or a series of tiny inclusions.
Slightly Included: Only 50% of diamonds of this clarity have no visible inclusions, so it is important that the selected diamond is clear to the eye.
85% diamonds of this SI2 clarity have some form of visible inclusion or defect to the eye free.
I Due to the high level of inclusions here, LV’57DIAMONDS does not recommend this grade of clarity for diamond jewellery.
When plotting the diamond, each category of clarity characteristics is assigned a colour. The colours and markings will help you identify each type of characteristic:
- Red: Indicates most inclusions.
- Red and green: When used together indicate cavities, indented naturals, knots, etch channels and laser drill-holes.
- Green: Indicates naturals.
- Black: Indicates extra facets.
Here is a list of the characteristics that may appear on a plotting diagram, along with their corresponding symbols.
Diamonds grade VS1 or higher, a subjective choice of quality that goes beyond what can be seen with the naked eye. Larger diamonds with these higher grades are much rarer and therefore command higher price premiums and also tend to perform better as an investment
Although SI1 and SI2 are generally not clear to the eye, impurities may be light coloured or scattered and thus, in up to 20% of cases, diamonds graded SI1 may appear to be clear to the eye. This number drops to just 5% for SI2.
There are many different types of impurities, but feathers and crystals are the most common forms of inclusions found in diamonds.
