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Diamond Information -> Diamond Clarity
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Diamond Clarity |
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Diamonds are made of pure carbon. However, during the crystallization process of diamonds
as they are formed, slight internal characteristics (crystals, clouds, etc, collectively
known as “inclusions”) and surface features (known as “blemishes”) may become incorporated
in the stone. These characteristics are something akin to a diamond’s ‘fingerprint’. They
are usually invisible to the naked eye, but can be seen when observed in a loupe (jeweler’s microscope).
Together, these inclusions and blemishes are measured by master graders at 10x magnification,
and a clarity rating is given based on the location, size, number, type, shade and visibility.
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Ratings can be the extremely rare Flawless (FL), Internally Flawless (IF) which has
very minor surface imperfections with no inclusions, Very Very Slightly Included (VVS)
with almost negligible inclusions, Very Slightly Included (VS) which is just a bit more
observable than VVS under the loupe, Slightly Included (SI) which has a higher number
of inclusions but are still not visible without a loupe, and Included (I) whose inclusions
might affect the brilliance of the stone.
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