Clarity in a diamond refers to the absence of inclusions and blemishes in a diamond. Diamond clarity is graded on a scale from FL (flawless) to I3 (included 3)

What is an inclusion?

When it comes to diamonds, an inclusion is another name for a flaw. There are several kinds of inclusions, including carbon spots, air bubbles, internal cracks (feather cracks) and white points.

But inclusions aren’t necessarily all bad. For one, since every diamond has different inclusions in different places, inclusions serve as the diamond’s fingerprint. This can come in handy if the diamond is ever stolen because it allows the rightful owner to match the diamonds documentation with the diamond. The diamond’s inclusions should directly correspond to the inclusions mentioned in the diamond’s certification. If they don’t, chances are the documentation is fraudulent or belongs to a different diamond.

How is diamond clarity rated?

Diamond quality is rated in

a scale of FL to I3. Below is a list of diamond clarity ratings. The closer you are to the top of the list, the better the clarity and the closer you get to I3, the worse.

FL - Flawless
IF - Internally Flawless
VVS1 - Very Very Slightly Included 1
VVS2 - Very Very Slightly Included 2
VS1 - Very Slightly Included 1
VS2 - Very Slightly Included 2
SI1 - Slightly Included 1
SI2 - Slightly Included 2
I1 - Included 1
I2 - Included 2
I3 - Included 3

How common are inclusions?

Flawless diamonds are extremely rare and are very expensive. Inclusions are actually quite common in diamonds and just because a diamond has inclusions doesn’t mean the it’s worthless. Most diamonds fall into the VS (very slightly included) or SI (slightly included) categories.

To see most inclusions you would need to magnify the diamond. To see an inclusion in a VVS1 or VVS2 diamond (considered excellent clarity gradings), you would need to magnify the diamond 30X.

For a VS1 or VS2 diamond you would need to magnify the diamond to 10X, but the inclusions would still be very difficult to see. Even at the VS level, inclusions should not affect the diamond’s sparkle.

Diamonds rated SI1 or SI2 would be easier to see under 10X magnification, but should still be invisible to the naked eye.

How can you tell how many inclusions a diamond has?

A diamond’s certification should give you all the information you need. It will tell you how many inclusions a diamond and tell you the diamond’s clarity rating. If your diamond is not certified, you can submit it to the GIA and for a fee, they will tell you more about the diamond’s quality. 

Still need more help choosing a diamond? Visit the Ziva Jewels blog or leave your question in the comments.