A diamond’s Clarity grade is based on the number, size, and location of the imperfections that naturally occur in a diamond. Most imperfections tend to be microscopic and generally do not affect the overall beauty of a stone. These inclusions are natural identifying marks that occur during the diamond formation process. Clarity is graded on a scale ranging from Flawless to Included, and the visibility of the imperfections are graded under 10x magnification.

When selecting a diamond, the buyer will determine if he/she is comfortable with the imperfections in a particular stone, since every diamond will have a different occurrence of imperfections. It is best to assess clarity with the naked eye first, before looping the stone to evaluate the imperfections under magnification. Once a diamond is purchased and set into a piece of jewelry, it is rarely viewed under magnification, so we encourage our clients to make a purchase based on the “naked eye” view.