Clarity

clar·i·ty | ˈkler-ə-tē

noun

A term used to measure the degree to which a gemstone is free from flaws

Clarity is a term used to deduce defects in gemstones. First and foremost, the scale for diamonds ranges at F and IF, otherwise known as “Flawless” and “Internally Flawless”. A flawless gemstone has zero internal or external defects, while an internally flawless gemstone may have blemishes only seen with a 10X scope. Furthermore, for other gemstones (non-diamonds) the scale resumes down to I3, meaning the gemstone has a large number of imperfections that are visible to the naked eye. Nevertheless, a majority of gemstone sellers determine the gemstone’s clarity grade by its visible inclusions, fractures, and blemishes, whether they can be seen with an self-governing eye, or purely under magnification. Additionally, clarity may also refer to the cleavage tendency of a crystalline material to break in certain directions, oftentimes along a crystal face or grain. Colored gemstones have a separate scale for clarity grades: VVS (very, very small inclusions), VS (very small inclusions), SI1 and SI2 (small inclusions), and I1, I2, and I3 (included).

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