Diamond Buying Guide
Diamond Color
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has devised a set of guidelines to grade diamond color. The color of graded diamonds is compared to that of control stones, which are pre-selected gems of a specific color.
D
E
F
G-J
K-M
N-R
S-Z
D - Colorless
E - Colorless
F - Colorless
G-J - Near Colorless
K-M - Faint
N-R - Very Light
S-Z - Light
Diamond Clarity
We measure the clarity of a diamond by its size and the number of inclusions and blemishes in or on it. Inclusions are interior irregularities and blemishes are exterior irregularities. These imperfections are not flaws, but rather the natural fingerprint of every diamond. With 11 grades, the system classifies a diamond's clarity based on the nature, position, and size of its inclusions and exclusions. The list below summarizes the GIA's International Diamond Grading System.
FL- IF
- VVS1/VVS2
- VS1/VS2
- S1/S2
- I1/I2/I3
FL - Flawless Flawless diamonds have no inclusions or blemishes detectable under 10x magnification, and are extremely rare.
IF - Internally Flawless Internally Flawless diamonds have no inclusions and only blemishes are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.
VVS1/VVS2 - Very, Very Slightly Included Very, Very Slightly Included diamonds have minute inclusions that range from extremely difficult to very difficult to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.
VS1/VS2 - Very Slightly Included Very Slightly Included diamonds have minor inclusions that range from difficult to somewhat easy to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.
S1/S2 - Slightly Included Slightly Included diamonds have noticeable inclusions that range from easy to very easy to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.
I1/I2/I3 - Included Included diamonds have obvious inclusions that are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification and may affect transparency and brilliance.