When people talk about or plan to buy a diamond, often they consider its 4Cs: carat, color, cut, and clarity. While determining the first three is straightforward, clarity can be tricky. Not all diamonds are equal in clarity. And their inequalities are reflected in the VVS Diamond Clarity Grade.

What is the VVS Diamond Clarity Grade?

The VVS Clarity Grade classifies diamonds based on their “imperfections”: inclusions and blemishes. Inclusions, if within the stone while blemishes appear on the surface. These imperfections are so minute they cannot be seen by the naked eye.

See illustration below (inclusions and blemishes encircled in red)

It is very crucial to know the VVS Clarity Grade of the stone you buy so you get what you paid for. Better still, check the trader’s AGS (American Gem Society) or other diamond certificates.

This article dwells on a diamond’s clarity grade. The goal is to familiarize you with diamond clarity so you can make a sound buying decision. Please read on….

What is the Best Clarity Grade for Diamonds?

On a personal level, there is no such thing as the “best clarity diamond grade.”

The term is relative. What is best for you, may not be for another. Besides, people buy diamonds for a variety of reasons. They buy it for personal use or to expand their jewelry collection, or as a gift. Sometimes, they buy the largest carat they can lay their hands on to feed their ego. Clarity is never in their mind when they make the decision to buy. Besides, none of their friends know any better or have a 10x microscope to check their stone’s clarity grade.

But, wait a minute, let’s say you want to know the clarity grade of what you already have or what you want to have the next time you shop for diamonds, would it not be better to know clarity grades and how it is done? 

So let’s get started.

Below is the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) diamond clarity chart.  A blueprint made by the authority in establishing clarity grades.

To get the full import of the chart, please read on…

FL (flawless) and IF (internally flawless)

In diamond parlance, these are the best clarity grade diamonds in the market—if you can find them.

They show no visible signs of inclusions even if examined under a 10x microscope by an expert. In fact, gemologists often use a 60x microscope to be sure, especially since the differences between the two are easy to miss. In most cases, it is all about surface anomalies like blemishes, extra facets, polish marks. .

And they are very, very rare—only about 1% of all diamonds in the field belong to this clarity level.  

Needless to say, they are also way too expensive for most of us; Getting hold of a carat is near to impossible unless you are royalty, or wading in oodles of money.

A good example is the Cullinan Diamond, discovered in Pretoria, South Africa on January 26, 1905. To date, it is still the largest and clearest diamond ever found since the Excalibur Diamond of 1893.

Named after Thomas Cullinan, chairman of the mining firm where it was found. The diamond weighed 3,106 metric carats (1.38 pounds).

Its clarity, size, and price were so imposing that it went unsold for two years while in display in London. Then the Transvaal Colony bought it in 1907 and gifted it to King Edward  Later on, it was cut into nine pieces, which were further cut into smaller chunks. The largest of them was called the Star of Africa.

VVS Diamonds

VVS stands for Very, Very Slightly included—meaning there are very slight inclusions in the stone. But they are so small it needs a trained eye with a 10x microscope to see them.

There are two VVS diamond clarity grades: VVS1 and VVS2. The 1 and 2 suffixes indicate the size and location of the imperfections. 

VVS1 may have one or two imperfections and they, almost always, are off-center. While in the VVS2, the inclusions are a bit closer to the center. And this can hurt a diamond’s sparkle. 

VVS1 also has better clarity than the VVS2—and a higher price.

Because of their high clarity grade, these stones are rare and expensive. A typical 1-carat VVS diamond price can range from $ 5,310 (I color) to $ 5,500 for an H-I color, depending on the cut, color, and shape.

Note: The suffixes I and H-I are color grades and illustrated further down.

So, is VVS the best diamond for you? It is your call. People prefer this diamond clarity grade for two reasons: it’s sparkle and it’s a great investment.

And if someone asks you, “is VVS real diamond?” the answer is, “Yes.” This clarity grade is for natural diamonds, not synthetic or fake diamonds.

VS Diamonds

If you’ve ever wondered why a 1-carat diamond of a particular cut and color is more expensive than another which is exactly the same, it’s because the pricey one is a VVS while its cheaper twin is a VS. There are a lot of jewelers that offer these stones, check out our De Beers review to find out more.

They look exactly the same to you. But to a trained specialist, they are not. It’s all a matter of inclusions. The inclusions in the VVS diamonds are difficult to see, if at all, under a 10x microscope. While that of the VS, the inclusion is difficult to see under the microscope, VS1 and somewhat easy to see, VS2.

SI Diamonds

These diamonds have small inclusions that may be noticeable with our without magnification—depending on its location. 

The S1 has fewer, smaller, and less noticeable inclusions than the S2. The inclusions are about medium in size and can be anywhere inside the stone. 

But for all its undesirable characteristics, the SI diamonds are the thumbs-up favorites among diamond buyers.

I Diamonds 

“I” diamonds have noticeable inclusions that can be seen using a jeweler’s eye loupe or even by the naked eye. For this reason, some jewelers don’t want to work on it

This poses a risk to unsuspecting buyers of small-carat stones because the inclusions may not be so obvious. 

Diamond Color

If someone asks you “what is VVS EF diamond,?” chances are that he or she wants to know what it is, or wants to know if you are diamond-savvy.

In any case, a VVS E-F diamond has a color grade approaching that of being colorless based on the GIA diamond color chart (shown below). 

A diamond that doesn’t have any color is a rarity. In fact, diamonds always come in a variety of colors: gray, white, yellow, green, etc.

 Before the GIA set a color grade chart, colored diamonds were described as “gem blue,” or “blue-white,” and many others. The color-grading system changed all that. Now, it is the standard method of determining a diamond’s color.

The GIA color chart covers the color range between colorless to light yellow. It doesn’t cover the “fancy diamonds.”

Fancy diamonds are diamonds with colors way beyond the GIA color chart. They are yellow, brown, and many other colors such as red, green, purple, or any color you can think of. They are very rare, hence expensive. 

So what color is the best? It’s your call. Colorless diamonds are the best, and they are the preferred choice by most buyers. If you want to go for colors be sure you have the budget for it. A 1-carat pink fancy diamond can easily fetch between $30,000 – $40,000. But no need to fret, there are other less expensive alternatives, such as the one in this Tacori review.

And to help you decide what colored-diamond to buy vis-a-vis its clarity, the chart below will be a good reference.

How are Clarity Grades Determined

A diamond’s clarity grade is determined by a highly-trained and qualified professional.

He starts by putting a sample down, flat side up, on the 10x microscope platform, and checks for any imperfections. Oftentimes, he may use a microscope of bigger magnification, say 60x, so he won’t miss anything. 

Then he notes down his observations under these five headings: size, nature, number, location, and relief of the inclusions.

Size

This is very important because, to a very large extent, it affects the diamond’s clarity grade. It is a huge factor in determining a stone’s clarity grade and, ultimately, market value. 

Nature

As important as size is, a gemologist exercises great care in identifying the nature of the inclusions because they are many.

For example:

• Bearding – these are hair-like lines that often occur during the cutting
• Cloud – is a cluster of pinpoints/crystals close to each other
• Crystal – a crystal contained within the diamonds. 

Should there be imperfections on the surface but don’t penetrate the stones, these will be classified as “blemish,” not inclusion.

Number

This refers to the number of inclusions found inside. The lesser the number, the higher the clarity grade.

Location

The location of inclusion is very important because it can diminish the brilliance of a diamond, hence its clarity. 

If the inclusion is close to, or near the center of the diamond, its clarity suffers. But if it is around the periphery or perimeter then it may be more difficult to see. A bottom inclusion can be detected because the facets of the diamond, like mirrors, will reflect it.  

Bear in mind, however, that inclusions are checked on loose stones. When the stone is already set in a jewelry item, a good jeweler can easily hide them. So look very closely when buying a piece of jewelry to make sure you are buying the right clarity grade. 

Relief

This means the contrast between the inclusion and the diamond. A dark relief will have a negative effect on clarity against a light one. 

Is a High-clarity Diamond a Good Buy?

At the outset, the article mentioned the 4Cs in diamond selection—Carat, Cut, Color, and Clarity. Now it’s time to go to more details.

Carat

Carat is the actual weight of a diamond. Its weight is about 0.2 grams, which is about the same weight as a paper clip. Of course, a larger carat diamond will be more expensive than a smaller one. But it should not be used for price benchmarking as other factors like color, and clarity can affect its price.

Cut

This refers to the quality of its cut, not the shape or size, but how well the stone is faceted, proportioned, and polished. Cut determines how well the diamond interacts with light; show off its brilliance.

According to experts, any buyer will first be attracted to a diamond’s cut, then its color. In the GIA’s system, cuts are graded Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor. Since cut doesn’t affect the price, so stick to the Excellent and Very Good when choosing one.

Color

On top of what’s written in the section Colored Diamonds, take note—color in diamonds is a very personal thing. And buyers don’t mind the quality as long as they get the color they want.

So if you are a color-inclined person, here’s a useful tip: round brilliant diamonds hide colors very well, while oval, long and radiant shapes show colors like Christmas lights.

Clarity

This article is about high-clarity diamonds from the beginning up until this point. However, much of it is about its technical side. Now comes the crucial question:

Is a high-clarity diamond a good buy? There is no straightforward answer. It is all up to you.

If you want to buy it as a gift for your boss’ wife to secure a promotion, it is. But if you want to give it to a friend or family member celebrating a birthday or a debut, an SI grade will be as good. In small carat diamonds, it is very difficult to distinguish a VVS from an SI with the naked eye.

If you want to feed your ego for having bought an almost flawless diamond, take note that a VS diamond will also seem flawless as seen through the naked eye—and it is cheaper. It is not a good investment tool, either, because diamond resale prices are low and you can never sell it at a price you paid for. 

For purely personal and symbolic reasons, and if you have the money for it, then by all means go for it. Otherwise, you can save a few bucks by settling for a lower-clarity grade.

Now, if you want to learn how a diamond sparkles, check out our post “Diamond In the Rough: Understanding Polish and Symmetry For Diamonds.”