What Is The Best Clarity And Color For A Diamond

Camila Farah

Here s which diamond clarity is best overall and if you re on a budget. In sum to save as much money as possible and still end up with a diamond that looks colorless and clean focus on stones with h color and si1 clarity. It s completely understandable because most of us only pay attention to the carat size of the diamond and the cut.

Diamond Clarity Scale Diamond Chart Diamond Color Chart Diamond Education

While flawless and colorless diamonds are extremely rare cut determines a diamond s true value.

Fl or flawless is the highest grade for clarity. For color d or completely colorless diamond is the highest grade. When it comes to picking out an engagement ring deciding which diamond clarity is best is likely low on your list of priorities. If the setting for your diamond is going to be made of yellow gold you can buy a j or k color stone and if the mounting will show only the top of the diamond as is the case with the full bezel setting for example you can even get an si2 clarity stone.

In my experience gia diamonds with a clarity grade of vs1 or better are always eye clean. If you are trying to determine what is the best clarity for a diamond remember that no diamond is perfectly pure. Once set in a ring these diamonds will look just like higher color grade diamonds. For round cut diamonds 1 carat or over a vs1 or vs2 will give you an eye clean stone.

The most common diamond color is yellow. This is why vs2 si1 and si2 grades are the perfect clarity range to browse for low cost eye clean stones. Most diamonds have a slight hint of yellow and the diamond color scale is based on the amount of yellow present in a diamond. However diamonds with clarity graded below si1 si2 are very likely to have visible flaws.

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An fl diamond has no imperfections even when magnified 10x by a professional. Clarity matters much more than color when the diamond is going to be set in a yellow gold setting which can absorb the yellowish tints in a low grade stone and make it look whiter in contrast to the gold. Because color is easier to detect in larger diamonds opt for g h in diamonds over 1 carat and i j for those under 1 carat. Diamond color is graded according to the gia grading scale.

For round cut diamonds under 1 carat a vs2 or si1 clarity grade will give you an eye clean diamond sometimes even si2 doesn t have visible inclsuions. The vs2 si2 range is comparably cheap and there are quite some gems that can be found within that scope. S1 slightly included is a good clarity rating with vs2 very slightly included being very good and vs1 considered excellent. Clarity ranges from f for flawless an exceptionally rare diamond to i1 and i2 for diamonds that have visible flaws.

For the best value in what would appear to the naked eye as a colorless diamond look for g j diamonds. Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number size relief nature and position of these characteristics as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone.