Diamond Clarity
Understanding Diamond Clarity
No diamond is perfectly pure. Clarity measures how visible those natural characteristics are — and how much they affect the stone's beauty and value.
What Clarity Actually Means
As diamonds form deep within the earth under intense heat and pressure, most develop tiny internal characteristics called inclusions, and surface characteristics called blemishes. Clarity grading evaluates the number, size, position, and visibility of these features under 10x magnification.
Most inclusions are microscopic and completely invisible to the naked eye — which is why a diamond doesn't need to be flawless to look flawless on your hand.
The Clarity Scale
Diamonds are graded on an 11-point scale, from completely flawless to visibly included:
Why Charlie Recommends VS & Above
For most shapes, VS1–VS2 clarity diamonds offer the best balance of beauty and value — inclusions are invisible to the naked eye, but the price is meaningfully lower than flawless stones. Charlie personally reviews every diamond's clarity characteristics with you before you buy, so you know exactly what you're getting.
Want the Full Technical Detail?
GIA and IGI both publish detailed, official guides to diamond clarity grading directly on their own sites.
