Diamond Clarity: Going into Details

A diamond, as beautiful as it is, consists of qualities that make them rare, unique and all together, precious. There are 4Cs when it comes to checking the diamond’s quality and grading which greatly affects the price. The 4Cs include: cut, carat, color and clarity. This article will deal with clarity, so read on to learn more:

                                   

What is clarity?

Clarity collectively accounts for the absence of a diamond’s blemish and inclusion. Inclusions are visual appearances that occur naturally and are seen internally while a blemish is a surface defect. The greater the clarity, meaning there is little to no inclusion and blemish seen, the more beautiful and expensive the diamond is. If you are not into the diamond’s grading as much as other enthusiasts are, then clarity might not be too much of an issue for you.

Inclusions

Internal characteristics naturally form during the time when diamonds are created deep within the earth, however, diamond enhancement procedures greatly affect the stone’s inclusions. Different types include:

·         Feathers

·         Clouds

·         Knots

·         Cavities

·         Cleavage

·         Bearding

·         Laser lines

·         Internal grading

Blemishes

These are surface or external defects that may have occurred naturally or as a result of enhancement and laser cutting. Some of the types of blemishes are:

·         Grain boundaries

·         Polish lines

·         Scratches

·         Pits

·         Chips

·         Breaks

Diamond grading categories

This is how diamonds are graded depending on their clarity and grading is usually done by trained diamond graders:

·         Flawless

·         Internally flawless

·         Very, very slightly included

·         Very slightly included

·         Slightly included

·         Included

Different Diamond Shapes

Different Diamond Shapes and Their Characteristics

One of the many reasons why women and diamond collectors have a hard time choosing a specific stone is because there are too many shapes to choose from. Here are some of the popular diamond shapes and their characteristics:

Round

This diamond cut is the most popular choice and well-researched shape among all the other diamond cuts. This is the type of diamond shape that would look good on any finger.

Heart

This is a favorite stone shape that men usually give to their loved ones since heart is symbolic of love and romance.

Pear

This type of cut is also known as teardrop, because it is pointed on one end and rounded on the other. This specific shape looks good on women with short and small fingers because the stone gives off an illusion of length.

Princess

A contemporary-style and non-round cut that is well-loved by younger generations. This is also one of the favorite cut used for engagement rings. This type of cut has pointed corners and is generally square or rectangular in shape.

Emerald

This shape’s pavilion or the unique rectangular cut makes this diamond distinctive and beautiful. This specific cut highlights the diamond’s clarity so this would definitely look best on diamonds that are clear and colorless.

Cushion

This unique, pillow-shape diamond cut has been a popular choice for over a century. Similar to that of an emerald cut, this shape also highlights the stone’s clarity and color.

Radiant

This is another popular choice because of the cut’s unique style. The corners are trimmed beautifully which makes this type of stone shape a must have for some diamond collector. 

5 Tips on Choosing a Diamond

Choosing a diamond is difficult for both men and women because of the many elements that you have to take into account. Apart from the price, you do need to see whether a specific cut or clarity suits your personal style. Also, the carat has to be taken into consideration because this is directly proportional to the price.  Austin Diamond District put together 5 tips on how to choose a diamond.  Visit their site here - http://austindiamonddistrict.com.  

11.     Cut

There are many cuts available and choosing one out of the many might be difficult. In this case, it is important to do research or try out specific cuts before committing to one. There are certain cuts that would look best depending on how tall or lean your fingers are.

22.     Color

If you want to have the highest quality diamonds and you have the money to pay for it, go for a colorless one. However, if you are working within a certain budget, you can look for diamonds that are a tad bit cloudy but are worth the price. There are those that still look colorless to the naked eye. There are also diamonds which have hues in them, however, they do come with a price.

33.     Clarity

If the diamond is flawless to perfection, expect that it comes with a good price tag. To the inexperienced eye, diamonds with natural inclusions may look all the same. If you are really particular about the clarity, you may ask the jeweler for the stone’s GIA grading report.

44.     Carat

This specific component is where almost all decisions are derived from. Most women don’t consider the color, clarity and cut if the stone’s carat is huge. However, for people who are mindful of the diamond’s quality or are enthusiasts and collectors, the size doesn’t really matter.