Clarity: The fewer inclusions that appear within a natural diamond, the rarer and therefore more valuable the stone. A diamond’s inclusions are natures fingerprint and can sometimes be used to identify the country of origin and even the mine.
The Diamond clarity scale has 6 categories, some of which are divided, for a total of 11 specific grades.
- Flawless (FL) No inclusions and no blemishes visible under 10x magnification.
- Internally Flawless (IF) No inclusions visible under 10x magnification.
- Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) Inclusions so slight, they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification.
- Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) Inclusions are observed with effort under 10x magnification, but can be characterised as minor.
- Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification
- Included (I1, I2, and I3) I clarity diamonds have obvious inclusions that are likely to be visible and impact beauty.
Colour: The most valuable colour for a diamond is white or colourless. On the GIA grading system this is a D colour. Diamonds generally contain a hint of colour, usually yellow or brown, caused by the presence of other elements during their formation deep within the Earth, billions of years ago. These stones are less rare and therefore less valuable than the finest and whitest stones.
Certification: When falling in love with a Diamond, look to see if a certificate is supplied.. This will be a unique verification for your stone. It will give you the peace of mind when looking to create your bespoke ring.
Trained gemologists from well known independent laboratories (such as GIA, IGI, HRD & WGI) use specialized equipment to measure the weight and dimensions of the diamond and assess quality characteristics such as cut, color, and clarity.