Call Us

New York Office

Phone: +1 917 539 9007

Hong Kong Office

Phone:+852 9248 4222
diamond registry logo diamond registry logo About Us

Diamond Clarity & Color a Complete Guide

wedding ring engagement ring diamond jewelry

Diamond clarity is an important consideration when you are buying a diamond. Any diamond can be made more brilliant with the help of a talented jeweler, but it will never be as beautiful as one that has good clarity.

Diamonds are beautiful, but they come in an array of colors and clarity grades. Understanding these features will help you make a more informed decision when you buy a diamond. Here’s what you need to know about color, clarity and what kind of impact each will have on your purchase.

Good And Bad Diamond Color

Good color is important for a diamond, but bad color is not. Color is the only of the 4 C's—cut, clarity, carat weight and color—that can be altered by the buyer.

Color grading takes into account several factors: hue (color), intensity (the amount of pure white light reflected from a stone) and tone (the grade that describes how far away from white your stone looks). A D grade diamond will have less than 25% of its surface area showing as intense yellow-green or brown tones; an F grade will have more than 75%.

The GIA calls diamonds with less than 20% color saturation “strongly colored.” This means they are very dark in hue, but not necessarily black. These diamonds have a lower price because they're less desirable to buyers than those that have at least some colorless white hue.

What Is A Standard GIA Diamond Color?

The GIA color scale is a standard grading method for diamonds. It's based on a comparison to a master stone that is considered to be completely colorless (D-F), and the rest of the scale measures how much tint is in your diamond.

The GIA grading system contains 11 grades, with each one describing the color of your diamond based on its proximity to this master stone. For example, if your diamond has more yellow than green in it then it will likely fall into D-C range of colors; if it's mostly green then you would get an E grade; and so on.

Why Is Color Important In A Diamond?

You may have heard the term "colorless" before when it comes to diamonds. But what does that mean? Well, it's not just an expression of how you feel after a long day at work—it refers to the color of the diamond itself. The scale used by gemologists to measure color in a diamond goes from D-Z, and each letter represents a different degree of pinkness or blueness displayed by a stone. For example: if your friend is wearing an 'F' colored ring on her finger and another friend wants one too but prefers something brighter and more dramatic (like maybe blue), then she might need something graded as 'G'.

The reason for this is that the scale is logarithmic. So each letter represents a 10x difference in color intensity. If your friend wants something even more dramatic than 'G', then she could opt for a stone graded as 'H'.

The 'Z' end of the scale is reserved for diamonds that are completely colorless. They're so rare that they can be priced well above the other grades in terms of cost, though it's important to remember that all diamonds are valuable because they're beautiful!

How To Use The Diamond Color Scale?

The GIA Diamond Color Scale is a way of rating diamonds based on their color. The higher the letter grade, the whiter the diamond.

There are 10 different grades ranging from D to Z, with D being the best and Z being the worst. Colorless diamonds (D-F) are extremely rare and therefore very expensive. They are ideal for engagement rings as they have exceptional brilliance, fire and scintillation—the three main factors that determine how much sparkle your diamond has!

The GIA scale is used by most reputable jewelers in order to standardize descriptions of diamonds so that you know exactly what you’re buying no matter where you buy it from or who sells it to you (remember: all diamond dealers must adhere to this scale).

Flawless Diamonds

Flawless diamonds are the rarest of all diamond types, comprising less than one percent of all available stones. They have no inclusions and are graded with a clarity grade of D-Z.

Flawless diamonds are prized for their rarity, but they can also add value to an engagement ring or other jewelry piece because they're so hard to acquire. If you're buying a diamond for your significant other and want to go above and beyond what's expected, consider purchasing a flawless stone!

Diamond Clarity Grades

There are 10 diamond clarity grades, from Flawless to I3. The GIA clarity grading scale is a reliable method for determining the quality of a diamond's inclusions. It’s important to note that not all inclusions are visible to the naked eye; they may only be visible under certain lighting conditions or magnified with equipment such as a microscope.

According to GIA, diamonds with no visible inclusions are graded as Flawless and those containing minor inclusions are graded as Internally Flawless (IF). Diamonds with obvious imperfections such as small cracks, feathers and clouds are given either a Very Slightly Included (VSI) grade or Included (I1-I3) grade depending on how many they contain.

What Is The Impact Of Clarity On A Diamond?

Clarity is a measure of the presence of inclusions, which are tiny imperfections in your diamond. Inclusions can be seen with the naked eye, but they don’t affect a diamond’s beauty or durability. They do impact its value, though: diamonds with no visible inclusions are considered “flawless” and therefore more valuable than those with visible imperfections.

If you’re looking for a flawless diamond, it’s best to buy one from an established jeweler who offers a lifetime guarantee on their products and specializes in certified diamonds (which means they have been independently assessed for quality). This will give you peace of mind that your investment is protected should anything happen down the road—and when it comes to buying something as precious as an engagement ring or wedding band, peace of mind matters!

How To Use The GIA Clarity Grading Scale?

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) clarity grading scale is based on the number of inclusions, their size and location. The fewer the inclusions, the higher the clarity grade.

In summary, diamonds with no visible inclusions are much rarer than those with a few small ones.

The best diamond quality you can get is flawless which means that a stone has very few if any blemishes. The next step down would be stones graded internally flawless and externally flawless which again have very few if any blemishes present but they may be visible under 10× magnification or on close inspection using a loupe or microscope respectively.

Being aware of the factors that could potentially damage the quality of your purchase, you can now make an educated decision.

You've now seen that there are a few different ways to rate diamond clarity and color, but what's the big deal? Why do you need to know? The answer is quite simple: it's important to be aware of the factors that could potentially damage the quality of your purchase. Knowing this information can help you make an educated decision about which diamonds are right for you. For example, if you're looking for an engagement ring, choosing between two diamonds with similar sparkle and cut quality will depend on the clarity grade of each stone. The lower its clarity grade number (on either scale), the more flaws it has (and vice versa).:

Bonus!

It's always empowering to have knowledge about the price of a diamond or engagement ring, especially when you're in the market for one. Knowing the wholesale level price not only ensures that you're getting a fair deal, but it also gives you the confidence to make an informed purchase. And if you ever decide to sell your ring, you can rest assured that we're here to help. We take pride in offering fair prices and an easy selling process to our customers. So whether you're buying or selling, having the right information and support can make all the difference in your journey.

Sell your diamonds with ease with Diamond Registry’s comprehensive approach and vast global industry connections to help you find the best buyer for your diamond fast. Visit Diamond Registry to take your first step to a fast, easy and reliable way to sell your diamond.

Want to check and calculate diamonds per carat instantly? Go to Diamond Registry. We are Reliable and trusted carat calculator in the diamond industry!

Jewelry
Color range: i
  • D Color
  • E Color
  • F Color
  • G Color
  • I Color
  • J Color
  • K Color
  • D Color
  • E Color
  • F Color
  • G Color
  • I Color
  • J Color
  • K Color
Clarity: i
  • I.F.
  • VVS1
  • VVS2
  • VS1
  • VS2
  • SI1
  • SI2
  • I.F.
  • VVS1
  • VVS2
  • VS1
  • VS2
  • SI1
  • SI2
Color: Color i
Color intensity:  Faint - Fancy i
  • Faint
  • Faint
  • Very Light
  • Light
  • Fancy Light
  • Fancy
  • Fancy Intense
  • Fancy Vivid
  • Fancy Deep
  • Faint
  • Faint
  • Very Light
  • Light
  • Fancy Light
  • Fancy
  • Fancy Intense
  • Fancy Vivid
  • Fancy Deep
FREE QUOTE
Check the Wholesale Price
Weight (carat):  1 carat
  • 1
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
Shape: i
Free Wholesale Quote
Submit your details and our experts will contact you with price information
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
Free Wholesale Quote