Comparing…
It’s the best way to truly understand diamonds and quality.
Especially when it comes to clarity.
Viewing clarity is such an eye-opener. For you can read all about clarity, view vague graphs and diagrams, have people explain it to you… But you won’t really grasp it until you see it with your own eyes. Hands on experience is everything.
For some stones, it’s a day and night difference. And there is one simple way to make clarity pop into place…
Ladder comparisons
What is this?
It’s starting at the bottom, and working your way up.
Go into any jewelry store and ask to see an I clarity diamond. I clarity (included diamonds) are the lowest clarity diamonds there are (I1, I2, I3). I clarity diamonds will have visible flaws. That’s the true nature and definition of them. So don’t be alarmed when you see a diamond that’s filled with debris, cracks, cloudy spots…
View that I clarity diamond under a 10x microscope (handheld loupes won’t cut it). Once you’ve scrutinized all the imperfections (and there will be many), ask to now see an SI2 clarity diamond. Do the same for this stone. View it top-down, then turn it sideways and view it, then from the bottom.
Really look for the flaws and inclusions.
Do this all the way up the clarity ladder, one stone at a time; SI1, VS2, VS1, VVS2, VVS1, IF (Internally Flawless), FL (Flawless).
Doing this will give you an instant understanding, much more than any text book could give you. A light bulb will go off in your head…
You’ll see it!
And it will amaze you.
And to prove this…
Let me show you. Look at all the diamonds below. All magnified, all sorted from the lowest clarity to the highest. Look at each stone well and spot the flaws… You’ll see them get smaller and smaller, harder to detect, until they finally all but disappear.
It’s fascinating to see.
Diamond Clarity from Low to High:
Wasn’t that awesome?
Doesn’t it make you excited about clarity?
This is the exact way that I would show you diamonds in a jewelry store. Seeing lets you compare for yourself. It’s impressive, interesting, and “AH-HA!”
You’ll not only get a better perspective of what inclusions are; carbon spots, clouds, pinpoints… But you’ll also see which clarity best suits you, your budget, and your peace of mind.
Just remember one thing:
ALL diamonds from SI1 and higher will appear pretty identical to the bare eye (not using a microscope or a 10x jeweler’s loupe. This is because SI1 or higher are what they call “eye-clean” diamonds. The flaws in them are so small they’re microscopic only. Meaning, an SI1 will look just like a Flawless diamond side by side (until you magnify them).
This is why SI1 clarity is the best selling and most popular clarity on Earth. It looks great and is highly affordable.
Every diamond above SI1 looks wonderful, but every diamond lower could exhibit visible flaws that might stand out like a sore thumb.
Has this comparison helped you decide on a clarity?
If so, view these stunning diamonds here at James Allen.
Cheers! :)