The 4C's: Diamond Clarity

CLARITYDiamonds that are absolutely clear are the most sought-after and therefore the most expensive. But many diamonds have inclusions — scratches, trace minerals or other tiny characteristics that can detract from the pure beauty of the diamond. The GIA and EGL use a detailed system of rules and standards to summarize the number, location, size, and type of inclusions present in a diamond.


Diamond ClarityFL, IF Flawless, Internally Flawless: No internal or external flaws. Internally Flawless: No internal flaws. Very rare and beautiful diamonds. VVS1, VVS2 Very, Very Slightly Included: Extremely difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. An excellent quality diamond. VS1, VS2 Very Slightly Included: Inclusions are not typically visible to the unaided eye. Less expensive than the VVS1 or VVS2 grades. SI1, SI2 Slightly Included: Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification. I1, I2, I3 Included: Will be visible to the unaided eye.

What Clarity is best?
We recommend that you select an "eye-clean" diamond — one that has no inclusions visible to the unaided eye. An excellent value, diamonds of this clarity are much less expensive than IF- or FL-grade diamonds and typically do not contain visible inclusions that detract from the beauty of the diamond. If you're considering an SI grade diamond, call Diamonds by Eyal to speak to a diamond and jewelry expert who will review the diamond to ensure the quality and the inclusions. But, if you'd rather not compromise on clarity yet are budget conscious, Diamonds by Eyal will find the diamond for you.





                                           

The 4C's: Color

Searching for the perfect stone can be intimidating. By perfect I not only mean a brilliant diamond that she will love, but also one that is in your budget. Knowing about the clarity of a diamond is essential when looking to purchase a stone. 

COLOR
Acting as a prism, a diamond can divide light into a spectrum of colors and reflect this light as colorful flashes called fire. Just as when looking through colored glass, color in a diamond will act as a filter, and will diminish the spectrum of color emitted. The less color in a diamond, the more colorful the fire, and the better the color grade. At Diamonds by Eyal, you'll find only the finest diamonds with color graded D-K/L. Diamonds graded J or better are colorless or near-colorless — their color is typically undetectable to the unaided eye.

Diamond Color
D Absolutely colorless. The highest color grade, which is extremely rare. E is also colorless. Only minute traces of color can be detected by an expert gemologist. A rare diamond, F Colorless is slight color detected by an expert gemologist, but still considered a "colorless" grade. A high-quality diamond; G-H Near-colorless. Color is noticeable when compared to diamonds of better grades, but these grades offer excellent value.
I-J Near-colorless. Color slightly detectable. An excellent value.
K-M Noticeable color.
N-Z Noticeable color.

Note that Diamonds by Eyal also carries fancy color diamonds. These diamonds are graded on a different color scale than white diamonds. Since the scale above ranges from the best to the worst quality in a white diamond, the colors found in fancy color diamonds are not represented on this scale.

Fancy colored diamonds are quite valuable due to their rarity. Fancy diamond colors include yellow, green, orange, pink, brown, blue etc. The hues of the colors, similar to diamonds, vary. You can find stones that are Fancy Light Yellow, Fancy Yellow, Fancy Intense Yellow and Fancy Vivid Yellow, with Fancy Vivid being the boldest, most valuable and priciest.

About Flourescent
Some people seek diamonds that produce this unique effect, while others avoid it. The visible effects of fluorescence grades of faint, inert, negligible, and medium, can only be detected by a trained gemologist with specific UV light. A fluorescence grade of strong or very strong can make a diamond with a near-colorless grade look even whiter. In some very rare instances a diamond with very strong fluorescence can give the diamond a slight hazy or oily appearance. For the purist, look for a colorless diamond with a grade of D-F and a fluorescence rating of faint, inert, none, or negligible. If you'd rather not compromise on color but would like to stay on budget, choose a diamond with a good cut, and good clarity, consider going with a medium fluorescence. It will still be beautiful to the unaided eye and you may prefer the unique effect of a medium fluorescence. It is imperative to come to our showroom and sit with our diamond experts in order to determine the effectiveness of fluorescence on any given diamond.

Fluorescent Diamond (top picture) vs. Non fluorescent (bottom picture)

For more information you can call us at 561.999.8878