Buying & Selling Diamonds: Is Diamond Clarity Important?

While many people consider the actual carat size of a diamond to be of paramount importance, jewelry buyers realize that diamond clarity is also extremely important. Typically, a diamond has inclusions within its core that are considered to be a sort of “birthmark” for the gem. These inclusions are what make every diamond unique, and the less inclusions that are present within the gem, the more valuable it becomes.

The Gemological Institute of America, known as the GIA, has created a clarity grading system that is used worldwide. When a diamond is plotted for clarity, it is examined at a 10X magnification. At that time, various inclusions and blemishes are marked and graded on the scale that the GIA has put in place.

The best degree of clarity that a diamond receives is known as Flawless. A diamond graded FL shows neither inclusions nor blemishes when it is examined at 10X magnification. One level below that is the Internally Flawless diamond. This is a diamond that has no inclusions, and only some slight blemishes on the surface. In many cases, a little bit of minor re-polishing on the diamond can remove the blemishes, making the diamond completely flawless.

The GIA scale continues, moving from VVS1 all the way down to I3. VVS1 is considered to be Very Very Slightly Included, and usually refer to diamonds that have such small inclusions that even a professional grader might have trouble finding them under the typical 10X magnification. I3 is considered Imperfect, and diamonds that are graded at this level will usually have imperfections that are visible to the naked eye.

Naturally, if diamond buyers are interested in a diamond as a jewelry item, diamond clarity is important only insomuch as none of the flaws are visible to the naked eye. Someone who is out in public with a diamond that is less than flawless will not have the imperfections detected by someone simply admiring the gem. Therefore, diamond clarity in many cases, is not truly important for someone who simply wears the diamond jewelry item.

However, diamond clarity becomes important when it comes to certification. Jewelry buyers know that certification is required for insurance purposes, and unless a diamond is certified (usually according to GIA specifications), many insurance companies will not provide a policy on the gem.

This means that from a professional point of view, diamond clarity is important when it comes to the actual cost of the diamond, as well as the diamond appraisal. However, from a purely practical point of view, the only time that diamond clarity is important is if there are flaws within the gem visible to the naked eye.