What does clarity mean?
Clarity describes how free a diamond is from natural inclusions and minor surface characteristics.
Along with Cut, Color, and Carat, clarity constitutes one of the diamond's four most important quality factors – also known as the 4 Cs.
The purer a diamond is, the more easily light can travel through the stone, creating the characteristic brilliance and fire that makes a diamond truly special.
What are inclusions?
Inclusions are small natural characteristics found inside the diamond, while surface marks are called blemishes.
In natural diamonds, these arise during the diamond's formation deep within the Earth's interior over billions of years under extremely high pressure and temperature.
Lab-grown diamonds are formed under the same physical conditions – just in a controlled environment. Therefore, lab-grown diamonds can also contain small natural inclusions, just like mined diamonds.
Each diamond is therefore unique.
How is clarity assessed?
A diamond's clarity is assessed by trained gemmologists under 10x magnification, which is the international standard.
The assessment considers factors such as:
- The number of inclusions
- The size of the inclusions
- Their placement within the diamond
- Their visibility
- Whether they affect the diamond's transparency or light reflection
Most inclusions are so tiny that they can never be seen with the naked eye.
The Clarity Scale
The international clarity scale ranges from Flawless (FL) to Included (I1).
FL – Flawless
No internal or external imperfections visible under 10x magnification.
These diamonds are extremely rare.
IF – Internally Flawless
No internal inclusions visible under 10x magnification. Only very minor surface characteristics may be present.
VVS1 – VVS2
(Very Very Slightly Included)
Inclusions are so tiny that even an experienced gemmologist finds them difficult to locate under 10x magnification.
VS1 – VS2
(Very Slightly Included)
Very small inclusions, visible only under magnification and not with the naked eye.
SI1 – SI2
(Slightly Included)
Small inclusions, visible under 10x magnification and in some cases discernible without magnification, depending on the diamond's size and placement.
I1 - Included
The inclusions are obvious and can affect both the diamond's transparency and its ability to reflect light.
How does clarity affect a diamond's brilliance?
Clarity affects how freely light can travel through the diamond.
The fewer and smaller the inclusions, the more efficiently light is reflected, and the more vibrant and sparkling the diamond will appear.
However, it is important to remember that the cut remains the most significant factor influencing a diamond's brilliance. A perfectly cut diamond with slightly lower clarity will often appear more beautiful than a poorly cut diamond with a higher clarity grade.
Which clarity does ARA STORM recommend?
At ARA STORM, we only select diamonds that meet our high quality standards.
Our white lab-grown diamonds have a clarity grade of VVS2 to VS1, meaning the inclusions are microscopic and invisible to the naked eye.
Our Philosophy
At ARA STORM, we don't believe in chasing the highest specifications on paper – we believe in choosing the most beautiful diamond.
For us, luxury is about the whole. When Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat work perfectly together, the magic happens that makes a diamond radiate in every light and become a piece of jewellery that can be worn and cherished for a lifetime.
