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Clarity is an important factor in diamond quality and price. Discover the details of inclusions and blemishes to select the best clarity grade for you.
Clarity is the absence of internal inclusions and surface blemishes on a diamond. It's one of the four factors that describe and determine a diamond's quality and value.
The Clarity Scale developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) rates diamond clarity from Flawless to Included. Professionals use specialized equipment to assess a diamond under 10x magnification, which allows their expert eyes to examine any imperfections — or lack thereof — up close. Once assessed, the clarity of the diamond is graded and added to the official certification report.
It's important to remember that while a diamond may have inclusions or blemishes, these imperfections may not be visible to the untrained, unaided eye. Diamonds with inclusions or blemishes that aren't visible to the naked eye are called 'eye clean.' If you’re looking for a high-clarity diamond, ensuring it’s eye is clean is the most important factor.
In 1953, the GIA standardized the grades of cut, color, carat, and clarity (commonly referred to as the 4 C's). Today, their 6-category, 11-level Clarity Scale is used around the world to determine the level of imperfections within a diamond.
To evaluate diamond clarity, professional graders use 10x magnification to determine the number, size, relief, nature, and position of imperfections and how they impact the overall appearance of the stone. Once each inclusion or blemish is assessed, the diamond is assigned one of the 11 specific clarity grades. Then, each imperfection is plotted on a visual diagram that helps identify the diamond's one-of-a-kind markings.
Generally, the larger the inclusion is, the more impact it'll make on the clarity grade (though the size of the inclusion is always relative to the size of the stone). Extra-large, close to the surface, or surface-reaching inclusions can also impact a stone's durability.
Inclusions are judged on how visible they are vs. how many there are. However, generally, the more significant the number of clarity characteristics there are, the lower the clarity grade will be.
Position references the location of the inclusion or blemish in the diamond. Imperfections can occur anywhere within or on a diamond, though inclusions nearest to the table tend to have the most significant impact on clarity.
The nature of an imperfection refers to the kind of inclusion that it is and the depth at which it occurs within the diamond. Internal characteristics are called inclusions, while external characteristics are called blemishes.
Relief references the distinctness of the inclusion or blemish in contrast with the diamond. A transparent or white inclusion is considered low relief, while a dark inclusion is considered high relief. The greater the relief is, the more of an impact it'll make on the overall clarity.
To understand inclusions and blemishes, it is important to understand how diamonds are created. Natural diamonds form deep within the Earth as the result of carbon that's exposed to extreme heat and pressure. This intense process results in trapped crystals that grow into the irregular internal characteristics we call inclusions — the most common of which are pinpoints and feathers. Pinpoints are tiny dots, and feathers are small, internal breaks.
Lab grown diamonds also have inclusions — however, they're often referenced differently than natural diamond inclusions in grading reports. For example, in a natural diamond report, the GIA references the most common inclusions as pinpoint and feather. In contrast, in a lab diamond report, the same type of inclusion may be called a 'growth remnant.'
External imperfections, called blemishes, occur on natural and lab grown diamonds after formation during the cutting, mounting, or wearing of a polished diamond.
Inclusions are internal imperfections that occur during diamond formation.
Blemishes are external imperfections that occur after diamond formation.
Clarity is incredibly important in determining a diamond's overall appearance, quality, and price.
Appearance: Heavily included diamonds may appear duller and not shine as brightly as those with a better quality grade.
Quality: A diamond with too many inclusions may be less durable and prone to chipping.
Price: Flawless and Internally Flawless diamonds are incredibly rare and expensive. Eye clean or Slightly Included diamonds are much more accessible.
With seemingly endless combinations of cut, color, carat, and clarity, selecting the right diamond can be daunting. The perfect diamond for you will have a balance of all four that fits your preferences and budget. When choosing a clarity grade, remember:
The highest quality clarity grade of diamonds is Flawless. These diamonds have no inclusions or blemishes at 10x magnification and are very rare.
A clarity enhanced diamond is a diamond that was treated with laser drilling or fracture filling. Brilliant Earth does not carry clarity enhanced diamonds.
Diamonds that have inclusions or blemishes that are not visible to the naked eye are considered 'eye clean.'
Clarity is the absence of inclusions in and blemishes on the surface of a diamond. Diamond color references the absence of color in a diamond.
Clarity is the absence of inclusions and blemishes within or on the surface of a diamond. Cut references the quality of a diamond's facets — which determine a diamond's fire, sparkle, and brilliance.
Generally speaking, the higher the clarity of a diamond, the more expensive it'll be.
Yes, clarity still applies to side stones and accent diamonds. If you're designing your own ring, consider matching the accent clarity to your center stone or go a few clarity grades lower.
Yes, lab grown diamonds have the same inclusions as natural diamonds do, though they may be referred to by other names on certifications than natural diamond inclusions (example: a lab diamond certification may list an inclusion as a ‘growth remnant’ rather than an ‘inclusion’).