With such an important investment on the line, it's essential to do your homework before you go wedding ring shopping. The 4 C's - cut, color, clarity, and carat - are quality standards that will guide you to make an educated decision about your wedding rings sets. Let's take a closer look at diamond clarity and how it affects the appearance of your rings.
What is Diamond Clarity?
Clarity is a quality that determines the internal characteristics - called inclusions - and external characteristics - called blemishes - of a diamond. When diamond clarity is evaluated, five factors of these characteristics are considered: size, number, position, nature and color.
Internal Characteristics: Inclusions
Inclusions - structural imperfections that occur inside the stone - can make a diamond appear cloudy or a whitish color. Most inclusions aren't perceptible to the normal eye, though large inclusions can limit the way a stone scatters light. Some types of inclusions are:
- Feathers
- Clouds
- Laser lines
- Cleavage
- Bearding
- Pinpoints
- Internal graining
- Crystals and minerals
External Characteristics: Blemishes
Blemishes appear on the surface of a diamond and can occur when the stone is being cut, polished or worn. Most blemishes are too small to see by anyone but a trained professional. Some types of blemishes are:
- Scratches
- Nicks
- Pits
- Polishing lines
- Naturals
How Diamond Clarity Works
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has established a diamond clarity grading scale with six different categories:
- Flawless (FL)
- Internally Flawless (IF)
- Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2)
- Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2)
- Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2)
- Included (I1, I2 and I3)
How to Shop for Diamond Clarity
Because clarity is very difficult to determine with the naked eye, it's not necessary to buy rare and expensive flawless diamonds to show off stunning wedding ring sets. Many diamond wedding rings sets have small imperfections that aren't noticeable to observers - they'll look beautiful and be much more affordable.