What is Diamond & Moissanite Clarity?

Guide to:
Diamond & Moissanite Clarity

What does Clarity mean?

A diamond or moissanite clarity refers to how visually pure and clean the stone is. This is determined by the amount of imperfections detected on the stone by magnification. As each stone is unique, it is important to identify the clarity of the stone to understand its value. Internally found lines or marks can ultimately effect the light refractions within the stone which can make it look cloudy.

Why Does Clarity Matter?

Clarity is important to determine has it helps to ensure you are getting a stone that reflects its price tag and aren't getting over charged for a low clarity stone.

Most blemishes cannot be seen by the naked eye, but the less internal characteristics the more valuable the stone will be.

5 factors are considered when determining a stones clarity. These include:

- The number of imperfections

- The size of blemishes

- The nature of the characteristics (and whether it effects the durability of the stone)

- Where it is on the stone and the noticeable contrast the imperfection has compared to the rest of the stone

The Different Types of Clarity

Clarity rating ranges from Flawless (F) to Included (I).

Less than 1% of all diamonds are rated Flawless (F) as they show zero imperfections under 10x magnification. Flawless and Internally Flawless (IF) diamonds are incredibly rare and wildly expensive.

Very Very Slight Included (VVS1) (VVS2) show incredibly tiny blemishes that are only visible under a microscope.

Very Slightly Included (VS1) (VS2) also show very minor inclusions that are only visible under magnification. The difference between VVS1 and VS1 are very small (except for a major price difference). It is generally not necessary to go above VS1 unless you want a really perfect stone or you want a step cut stone like emerald where inclusions are slightly more visible.

Slightly Included (SI1) (SI2) (SI3) show minimal inclusions that are barely visible to the naked eye. Any rating below Slightly Included (SI1) means the imperfection is visible without magnification.

Included (I) diamonds have obvious inclusions that are eye-visible. These inclusions may potentially impact or deflect the level of light reflected within the stone.

S-kin's Requirements for Clarity

At S-kin Studio all our high quality diamond rings offer ethically lab grown SI1 clarity diamonds. We will only ever use a stone that has incredible fire and scintillation to ensure that you will have as much sparkle as possible in your diamond ring.

As with most lab grown diamond, inclusions are often integrated into the stone during the high pressure and heat process of the diamonds creation. Any of these inclusions will only be visible through magnification and will still be incredibly durable and scratch resistant.

Our Moissanite stones all have a VVS1 clarity rating. Due to the production process of moissanite stones, almost all created moissanite stones are able to achieve a VS1 or higher clarity.