Diamond Clarity

What Is Diamond Clarity?

The clarity grade is based on any tiny natural identifiers found within a diamond. The shape of a diamond can affect the importance of its clarity grade. While the brilliance facets patterns of round and princess-cut diamond can hide certain imperfections, step-cut shapes - such as emerald and asscher-cuts - have large, open tables. If you are searching for a step-cut diamond, we suggest looking at those with clarity grades of VS2 or higher.

Diamond Clarity Refers to the Absence of Inclusions and Blemishes



How Did The GIA Clarity Scale Come To Be?

Like the color scale, GIA's clarity grading system developed because jewelers were using terms that could be misinterpreted, "loupe clean". Today, even if you buy a diamond somewhere else in the world, the jeweler will most likely use terms like VVS1 or S12, even if his or her language is French or Japanese instead of English.

What causes inclusions?

Small crystals can become trapped in a diamond when it's forming. Sometimes as a crystal grows it can develop irregularities in its atomic structure.



No inclusions and no blemishes visible under 10x magnification.


No inclusions visible under 10 x magnification.






Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification



Many inclusions and blemishes are too tiny to be seen by anyone other than a trained diamond grader. To the naked eye, a VS1 and an S12 diamond may look exactly the same, but these diamonds are quite different in terms of overall quality. This is why expert and accurate assessment of diamond clarity is extremely important.


Flawless. No imperfections on the surface, or inclusions within. These are the most rare of all clarity grades, and therefore extremely valuable.


Internally Flawless. No inclusions within the diamond, but may have very minor blemishes on the surface. If so, they will not be visible without magnification.


Very Very Slightly Included 1. Likely to have minute inclusions that can only be seen under 10x magnification by an expert eye. These inclusions can only be seen through viewing the bottom of the diamond.


Very Very Slightly Included 2. Likley to have minute inclusions that can only be seen by experts under 10x magnification. These may be visible when viewing from the top of the diamond.


Very Slightly Included 1. The untrained eye may detect inclusions within diamonds of this grade, under 10x magnification. It can take a long time to see them, however (over 10 seconds).


Very Slightly Included 2. Slightly more inclusions than diamonds with VS1 grade, 10x magnification is still needed to detect any flaws. It can take up to 10 seconds to see them.


Slightly Included 1. More noticeable inclusions that experts can see clearly with 10x magnification. They may or may not be visible to the naked eye, depending on where they are in the diamond.


Slightly Included 2. May have noticeable inclusions that are easy to see under 10x magnification. Sometimes, the unaided eye can detect them.


Included 1. Obvious imperfections under 10x magnification. The durability of the diamond may also be compromised depending on the specific inclusions.


Included 2. Obvious imperfections under 10x magnification. There may also be eye visible inclusions, both within the diamond and on the surface. The durability of these diamonds may be compromised.


Included 3. Large and obvious imperfections that can be clearly seen with the unaided eye. These may be within the diamond and at the surface level. The durability of these diamonds is likely compromised.

Simply stated, clarity

is a measure of the tiny imperfections

found in most every diamond.

A flawless diamond with little to no imperfections is often desired due to its rarity, but they are also the most costly. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that is very common for diamonds to be formed with slight imperfections.

These imperfections are known as "inclusions" and usually occur during the diamond's crystallization period within the earth, or from the stresses of mining and processing. Inclusions are anything from tiny white points to dark dots, cracks or scratches. The fewer inclusions, the more valuable a stone is. Clarity is evaluated using a 10-power magnification. This means that the object viewed appears 10 times its actual size. The diamond grader examines the clarity characteristics with respect to the nature and number of characteristics, as well as their size, color and position. The clarity grade assigned reflects the degree of visibility of the characteristics.


Diamonds often possess unique markings - either internal ( known as inclusions) or external (known as blemishes). A diamond's clarity grade depends on the absence or abundance of such inclusions and blemishes. 

The following lists some commonly used terminology to describe a diamond's internal and external characteristics.


Natural - unpolished surface,

the original skin of rough diamond

Cleavage or feather - inclusion along atomic grain

Pit- small indentation on a flat surface

Fracture - irregular shaped break


Cavity - opening on surface

Included - inclusions within diamond

Nick - minor surface chip

Carbon Spot- Included crystal

Grain/Twinning Line - Irregularity in crystal growth

Pinpoint - small included crystal (appears white)

Scratch - Small groove (can be due to normal wear)

Cloud - Group of pinpoint

Chip - Broken along external edge

Internal grain line - visible part of internal grain structure.

Laser Drill Hole - Clarity enhancements to remove/reduce appearance of inclusions

Bearded or feathered girdle - minute to small hairline fracture extending from girdle into stone.

The clarity grade of a diamond not only affects the value and price,

but can also be a good indication of the diamond's vulnerability.

Heavily included diamonds can be prone to breakage.