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Home > Diamond and Jewelry Education > Diamond Education > Diamond Clarity


Diamonds Shape Cut Color Clarity Carat Weight Certification Care

Diamonds that are absolutely clear are the most sought-after and therefore the most expensive. But many diamonds have inclusions — scratches, trace minerals or other tiny characteristics that can detract from the pure beauty of the diamond. The GIA and AGSL use a detailed system of rules and standards to summarize the number, location, size, and type of inclusions present in a diamond.

tips & hints

What is clarity?

Clarity indicates how "clean" the diamond is, or how many inclusions (i.e. scratches, trace minerals or other tiny characteristics) the diamond has. Inclusions are important to consider because Read more...

Does clarity grade affect a diamond's sparkle and brilliance?

The clarity grade has little effect on a diamond's visible appearance except in larger diamonds. The larger a diamond is, the larger the facet; larger facets expand the visible clarity. Out of the 4 C's, clarity is considered the least important. It is primarily the precision Read more...

How is clarity grade determined?

The clarity grade is based on the number, size, color, and location of inclusions or blemishes in the stone. The Flawless (FL) grade is given to a stone in which no imperfections can be seen internally (inclusions) or externally (blemishes) when examined with 10x magnification. For clarity Read more...

Are there specific diamond shapes where higher clarity is more desirable?

Overall, you are less likely to see inclusions as the cut grade of your diamond increases. However, there are cuts when higher clarity is more desirable. For example, Read more...

What does it mean if a diamond is "eye clean"?

An "eye clean" diamond is one that has no inclusions visible to the unaided eye when viewed from the top down, and at arm's length. Read more...

For a three-stone ring, should you keep the same color/cut/clarity parameters for the side diamonds?

For a three-stone ring, Blue Nile recommends that you choose the same cut grade for each of the diamonds, but color and/or clarity can differ. For color, there will not be a visible difference within three grades. For example, D, E, Read more...

additional tips


FL, IF	Flawless, Internally Flawless: No internal or external flaws. Internally Flawless: No internal flaws. Very rare and beautiful diamonds.
VVS1, VVS2	Very, Very Slightly Included: Very difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. An excellent quality diamond.
VS1, VS2	Very Slightly Included: Inclusions are not typically visible to the unaided eye. Less expensive than the VVS1 or VVS2 grades.
SI1, SI2	Slightly Included: Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification, and may be visible with the unaided eye. A good diamond value.
I1, I2, I3	Included: Blue Nile does not carry diamonds of I-grade clarity.

We recommend that you select an "eye-clean" diamond — one that has no inclusions visible to the unaided eye. An excellent value, diamonds of this clarity are much less expensive than IF- or FL-grade diamonds and typically do not contain visible inclusions that detract from the beauty of the diamond. If you're considering an SI grade diamond, call to speak to a diamond and jewelry consultant who will review the diamond to ensure the inclusions are not visible with the unaided eye. But, if you'd rather not compromise on clarity yet are budget conscious, choose a diamond with a good cut and G or H color.

The table below compares the prices of diamonds with the same carat weight, color , and cut grades.

Clarity	Description	Price
FL	Flawless No internal or external finish flaws.	$7,500
IF	Internally Flawless No internal flaws.	$7,200
VVS1 VVS2	Very very slightly included Very difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification.	$6,900 $6,600
VS1 VS2	Very slightly included Difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification, typically unable to see inclusions with unaided eye.	$6,100 $5,600
SI1 SI2	Slightly included Easy to see inclusions under 10x magnification, may not be able to see inclusions with unaided eye.	$5,000 $4,300