If you ask 100 people on the street what "clarity" in a diamond means, people might throw out a "VS" here and a "SI2" there, but I'd venture to say that even they would not really be able to define it. It's true, clarity might not be the most important "C", but its still worth understanding, so here are the 5 things you need to know about clarity.
- Diamonds are formed deep within the earth under extreme heat and pressure and during this formation process can develop gray or white marks internally, which are called inclusions
- Diamonds can also develop external blemishes from the cutting and polishing process
- The clarity of a diamond refers to these "birthmarks", and diamonds are rated under heavy magnification on a scale from Flawless to Very Slight Inclusions to Obvious Inclusions.
- The majority of diamonds have slight or very slight inclusions and blemishes that are not visible to the naked, untrained eye, which is why clarity is typically not a "C" that affects the beauty or brilliance
- Remember that rarity affects a diamonds value, and flawless diamonds are extremely rare...and expensive
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