Diamond Clarity
A diamond’s clarity rating is the key measure of its overall quality. Alas, nature guarantees that almost all diamonds have inherent natural blemishes called “inclusions.” Often, these clarity shortcomings are invisible to the untrained eye. However, these same imperfections are immediately apparent to our professional gemologists. A stone is said to be flawless if, under magnification, no inclusions like “clouds,” “pinpoints,” or internal crystals; no internal flaws, sometimes referred to as “feathers;” and no external imperfections, such as scratches, burns or abrasions, are visible.
The Most Obvious Flaws
CLOUDING: Milky clouding can produce a dull stone. The degree of penetration into the diamond affects the overall purity of the stone.
SUBSTANTIAL CRYSTALLIZATION: All natural diamonds, even the best, have a slight internal crystallization: a mark that occurs as the crystal forms. However, substantial crystallization constitutes a considerable flaw on the surface and sometimes in the depth of the diamond. It is manifested by veins, waves or minuscule cracks.
NODES: It is not unusual to see a diamond crystal, or node, within the diamond, which reaches up to the surface of the stone.
NATURALS: Some gem cutters leave a part of the original surface of the crystal in its rough state when cutting the facets of a diamond. These parts are called “naturals,” and they can change the appearance of the diamond.