The clarity of a diamond refers to the presence of inclusions or blemishes and range on a scale from Flawless to Imperfect. Inclusions are natural identifying characteristics such as minerals or fractures, appearing while diamonds are being formed. They may look like clouds, feathers, or tiny crystals. Blemishes are external and can look like scratches and are part of the rough crystal surface left on the finished stone. The general term for blemishes and inclusions is clarity characteristic. These characteristics seldom affect the strength or durability of the diamond, only the rarity.

Below are some descriptions of a few clarity characteristics.

Graining is an irregularity in the atomic arrangement of a growing crystal. It may look like faint lines sometimes in a group or parallel. It may also look like a hazy area in the stone.

Included crystals are crystals of other minerals and occur in groups or singly. They can be any size but small ones are called pinpoints. Included crystals that reach the surface are called knots.

A natural is a spot on the crystal's original surface that the cutter left exposed. Many diamonds have naturals. These are plotted on a laboratory certificate usually with green and sometimes black marks.

To view inclusions, jewelers use 10x power magnification. Americus Diamond has several microscope areas through which customers can view their diamonds and identify the imperfections. Every diamond will have identifying characteristics that are unique to that particular stone.

Flawless diamonds show no inclusions or blemishes of any kind when graded under 10x magnifications.

Clarity Scale Click on letters below to see clarity scale.

• Internally Flawless diamonds (F-IF) have no inclusions but do have minor surface blemishes.
• VVS1 and VVS2 are diamonds which contain minute inclusions that are difficult even for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification.
• VS1 and VS2 are grades where inclusions are clearly visible under 10x magnification but are still characterized as small. For example, you may see a small cloud or several pinpoints.
• SI1 and SI2 are diamond grades that are fairly noticeable or easy to see under a 10x magnification. Typical characteristics include clouds, knots, pits and feathers. Usually these are not visible to the unaided eye.
• I1, I2, and I3 are diamond grades which have inclusions that are obvious under 10x magnification as well as visible to the unaided eye