A Little Info About Diamonds: CLARITY

I've written about the first of the four Cs of diamonds, Color.  I found that pretty interesting---all the colors of natural diamonds is amazing!  And it was interesting to read how diamonds are treated to enhance color as well.   But today I wanted to write about another C -- Clarity.  It's more complicated than I thought!

Diamonds are formed deep in the earth as a result of carbon exposed to tremendous pressure and heat.  This process results in a variety of internal characteristics called "inclusions" and external characteristics called "blemishes".

Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone. While no diamond is perfectly pure, the closer it comes, the higher its value.  Generally, clarity has the least impact on a diamond's appearance.  Clarity simply refers to tiny, natural imperfections that occur in all but the finest diamonds.  

There are a total of 11 grades of clarity within 6 categories, as follows:

• 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 characterized as minor
• Slightly Included (SI₁ and SI₂)
  Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification
• Included (I₁, I₂, and I₃)
  Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification which may affect transparency and brilliance

 Inclusions and blemishes are extremely tiny, even microscopic, and not  visible to the naked eye.  So a diamond graded "VS1" and another graded "SI2" might look the same, but are graded differently by experts.  This would affect the price of the diamond perhaps, but not the beauty of the diamond.

What to Look For When Purchasing a Diamond
  It's recommended to select an "eye-clean" diamond - one that has no imperfections visible to the unaided-eye through the crown. An excellent value, diamonds of this clarity are much less expensive than flawless (FL) or internally flawless (IF) diamonds, which are extremely rare and command higher prices.  Frequently, imperfections in diamonds graded slightly included (SI) are not visible to the unaided eye, making them an excellent value.

Treatments That Improve Clarity
Some diamonds are coated with chemicals or plastics that improve the color of a diamond and mask any inclusions or blemishes. 

Aside from coating a diamond, there are two main techniques for improving a diamond's clarity:

• Laser drilling is commonly used to remove small dark inclusions. The laser bores a small hole into the diamond's interior and burns away the inclusion, or creates a channel through which a bleaching agent can be introduced to improve the inclusion's appearance.

  

  Fracture Filled, Before (L) and After

• Fracture filling hides white fractures in a diamond called "feathers." A glass-like substance is injected into the fracture to make it less visible and to improve the stone's apparent clarity. Because the filling may be damaged or removed during routine cleaning and repair, the technique is controversial. Good fracture filling is very subtle, and so examination by a skilled diamond grader is necessary to detect its presence in a stone.  This method is not considered permanent.