Four Factors (4CS) That Determine The Quality of Diamond: Clarity

Four Factors (4CS) That Determine The Quality of Diamond: Clarity

As a recap, the factors that determine diamond quality is cut, color, clarity, and the carat weight or what is known as the 4 Cs. From our previous blog post, we covered the cut of a diamond and how it affects its value. In this post, let's cover diamond clarity.

Clarity

Clarity refers to how clean and clear the diamond is. To determine how clean a diamond is, you’ll need a jeweller’s loupe. This device magnifies 10 times, so any grading that you find on a diamond certificate refers to what is visible with 10x magnification.

Diamond flaws

There are two flaws usually found in a diamond, the inclusions and the blemishes. Inclusions are flaws that are found within or inside the diamond, and blemishes are flaws that are found outside or on the surface of the diamond.

Inclusions and blemishes are created naturally during formation. These flaws can restrict the reflection of light that results to the diamond’s brightness. Almost all diamonds have inclusions, and obviously, lesser to zero inclusions mean better grade and value.

Inclusions are more visible in some cuts than others. The most forgiving cut for inclusions is the cushion cut. The emerald cut is quite the opposite. Its long clean lines that shine right into the heart of the diamond means there is no room for any flaws.

The clarity of a diamond is graded on a scale from imperfect to flawless. This is determined by how many inclusions or blemishes there are in a diamond.

The clarity scale under 10x magnification:

  • Internally flawless - no blemishes or inclusions found
  • VVS (very, very slightly included) - has little and almost invisible inclusions or blemishes
  • VS (very slightly included) - has little visible inclusions or blemishes
  • SI (slight inclusions)
  • I (Included) - There are obvious inclusions and blemishes