In the first of a two part series, we explore a diamond’s internal characteristics or those that extend into the diamond from its surface – these are called diamond inclusions. (Next time we’ll cover external characteristics, or blemishes.) A GIA Diamond Grading Report provides a diagram that uses symbols to illustrate the position of a diamond’s inclusions. We’ve listed diamond inclusions commonly found in diamonds with brief explanations. Enjoy!

	Bearded Girdle Very small feathers that extend from the girdle surface into the stone; can result from the cutting process.
	Bruise A tiny area of impact accompanied by very small, root-link feathers; typically occurs at a facet junction. Courtesy of Gary Roskin, G.G., F.G.A.
	Cavity An angular opening created when part of a feather breaks away or when a surface-reaching crystal drops out or is forced out during polishing.
	Chip A shallow opening caused by damage to the stone’s surface that typically occurs at a girdle edge, facet junction, or culet.
	Cloud Many tightly grouped pinpoints that might be too small to distinguish individually but together have a hazy appearance.
	Crystal A mineral crystal contained in a diamond.
	Feather General trade term for a break in a gemstone, often white and feathery in appearance.
	Grain Center A small, concentrated area of crystal distortion; can be white or dark, and might have a thread-like or pinpoint-like appearance.
	Indented Natural A portion of the rough diamond’s original surface that dips below a polished diamond’s surface.
	Internal Graining Lines, angles, or curves that might appear whitish, colored, or reflective, or affect transparency at 10X; caused by irregularities in crystal growth.
	Internal Laser Drilling Laser drilling within a diamond that creates a surface-reaching feather, or expands a pre-existing feather around a dark inclusion so that it reaches the surface. The feather then provides access for bleaching to decrease the visibility of the inclusion.
	Knot A white or transparent diamond crystal that extends to the surface after fashioning.
	Laser Drill-hole A tiny, surface-reaching tunnel produced by a laser light beam.
	Needle A thin, elongated crystal that looks like a tiny rod at 10X.
	Pinpoint A very small crystal that looks like a tiny dot at 10X.
	Twinning Wisp A series of pinpoints, clouds, or crystals that forms in a diamond’s growth place; associated with crystal distortion and twinning planes.

All images are magnified to provide you with closer detail. If you want to see a larger version of the inclusion, click the image. Just don’t expect all clarity characteristics to look exactly like these pictures!

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It has been said that few things in nature are absolutely perfect. The same holds true of diamonds. Part of what makes a diamond unique is what is commonly referred to as a diamond’s clarity characteristic.

A diamond’s clarity characteristic is made up of both inclusions (internal features) and blemishes (surface irregularities). The number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics affect the overall appearance of the stone, and go a long way toward determining which of the 6 GIA Clarity categories the diamond falls under.

A flawless diamond is rare, so when looking to purchase a diamond, it’s important to understand how clarity, one of the 4Cs of diamond quality, plays into the diamond purchase decision.

Learn more about diamond clarity with this great educational video from GIA.

Remember, the value of a diamond is determined only after considering all of the 4Cs of diamond quality, so learn about the next C, Diamond Cut.

The post Are Diamonds Really Perfect? appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

Diamond clarity is one of the 4Cs of diamond quality that influence a diamond’s value. When GIA examines a diamond to determine its diamond clarity grade, it takes five factors into account:

• The size of the clarity characteristics and the number present.
• The position of the characteristics is also important–are they located on the table or in an inconspicuous place?
• The nature of the blemish or inclusion is examined, to see if it will affect the structure of the diamond.
• And finally, the clarity characteristics are checked for relief—whether they result in any color being present.

GIA’s clarity grading system is made up of eleven diamond clarity grades – terms used worldwide by jewelers and consumers alike:

• Flawless
• Internally flawless
• Two categories of Very Very Slightly Included (VVS₁ and VVS₂)
• Two categories of Very Slightly Included (VS₁ and VS₂)
• Two categories of Slightly Included (SI₁ and SI₂)
• Three categories of Included (I₁, I₂, and I₃)

Blemishes usually only affect the clarity grade in the top two categories (Flawless and Internally Flawless), whereas inclusions affect all grades. Flawless diamonds are very rare – so rare, that it’s possible for a jeweler to spend a lifetime in the industry without ever seeing one.

Learn more about diamond clarity with the first article of this series: Introduction to Diamond Clarity: What are Inclusions and Blemishes.

The post Introduction to Diamond Clarity: Understanding a Diamond Clarity Grade appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

Both inclusions and blemishes appear in a diamond at different stages of a diamond’s formation. Inclusions may be present from a diamond’s creation, whereas blemishes may appear during cutting, setting, or even the wearing of a diamond.

There are many different types of inclusions, also known as internal clarity characteristics. As diamonds form in extreme heat and under great pressure, small crystals can become trapped inside. This is a common inclusion. Many of these crystals can only be seen if the diamond is studied at 10x magnification. If the diamond has an irregular atomic structure, it can also have a clarity characteristic called graining. Graining looks like faint lines or streaks. Diamonds can also have internal breaks, formed during or after formation. These breaks are called ‘feathers,’ because of their feathery appearance.

Blemishes occur after a diamond’s formation, during the cutting, mounting, and wearing of a polished diamond. Extra facets, polish lines (thin parallel grooves and ridges) or burns (from excessive heat on the polishing wheel during cutting) are examples of blemishes introduced during the manufacturing process. Nicks, scratches, chips and abrasions are examples of blemishes introduced during the handling, mounting or wearing of a diamond. Chips are shallow openings where part of the diamond was broken off, most often at the girdle edge.

Many inclusions and blemishes are too tiny to be seen by anyone other than a trained diamond grader. In some cases, a diamond can have a flawless clarity, or a total absence of any blemish or inclusion. Since rarity and value are related, a diamonds with a flawless clarity are incredibly rare and thus, the most valuable of all diamonds.

Learn more about diamond clarity with Diamond Clarity: Understanding Diamond Clarity Grades.

The post Introduction to Diamond Clarity: What are Inclusions and Blemishes appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.