Diamond Quality
If you need help, please contact us we are very happy to answer questions.
When choosing a diamond, people are typically guided firstly by budget, next by the size of the diamond, and then by quality. In general this is reasonable, especially when shopping with 1791 Diamonds Ltd, because our strict diamond quality policy means we only sell high quality beautiful diamonds.
The diamond industry grades the clarity of each stone individually. The scale at the bottom of the page shows the terms the experts use, but a simple guide is as follows:
We have chosen these strict guidelines because we think these diamonds will always impress anyone who looks at the diamond in all normal circumstances. We are well aware that many jewellery shops sell much cheaper lower grade stones, which is fine because they can show the imperfections to the customer, who can confirm they are happy. We simply don't want anyone to be disappointed so we won't compromise on quality.
If you buy a diamond in a shop, always ask to see the independent certificate for the diamond. This will tell you all the information about cut, clarity, colour and carat size. We always provide an independent certificate. If another retailer won't let you see the certificate for the diamond you are going to buy, we recommend you walk away. This is because the diamond's flaws or value for money may not be apparent to you until later which could be very disappointing.
Diamond Clarity
Let's consider the issue of clarity in more detail. Diamonds of the same size will vary dramatically in price if they are of differing quality. A perfectly flawless diamond is extremely rare and therefore very very expensive and for all practical purposes so difficult to tell apart with the eye from a VS clarity diamond, it probably isn't worth paying the huge premium they demand.
Expert Terms
- FL - IF Flawless/Loupe Clean. This top clarity grade includes diamonds in which inclusions cannot be seen with a loupe at 10x magnification. If a diamond has no apparent flaws under 10x magnification, then graders may use stronger magnification to detect inclusions and, if positive, assign it to a lower grade such as VVS1 for example.
- VVS (Very, Very Slightly Included). The VVS Grade is a grade where even experienced graders have extreme difficulty in finding or locating inclusions at 10x magnification. Tiny pinpoints, hairline feathers or sometimes a cluster of minute pinpoints creating a faint cloud are characteristics that would make a diamond VVS. In stones larger than 0.47ct sub grades VVS1 and VVS2 are used to differentiate between the higher and lower ends of the VVS grade.
- VS (Very Slightly Included). This grade refers to stones with inclusions that are considered minor or small in appearance. At this level, experienced graders may still have difficulty locating the inclusions, but once found they would be easily found again. In stones larger than 0.47ct, sub grades VS1 and VS2 are used to differentiate between the higher and lower ends of the VS grade.
- SI (Slightly Included). This grade includes diamonds with inclusions that are easy to find with a 10x loupe. Some inclusions in this grade may be visible to the naked eye. In stones larger than 0.47ct sub grades SI1 and SI2 are used to differentiate between the higher and lower ends of the SI grade.
- Pique/Imperfect. This grade includes jewellery-quality stones with inclusions that are immediately visible under 10x magnification and in many cases visible with the naked eye. Inclusions in this grade will seriously affect the beauty of the diamond, reducing fire, brilliance and, in some cases, the durability of the stone. Dark crystals, large fractures or numerous dark marks anywhere in the stone characterise Pique grade diamonds.
