Diamond Clarity Characteristics
This is a picture of uncut "diamond rough" and every
polished diamond starts out looking like this. The cutter
skillfully shapes a finished diamond from the piece of diamond rough and
the diamond is then valued based upon the finished carat weight, color
and clarity of the diamond. The term "clarity characteristic" refers to the inclusions
within a diamond which are the basis for the clarity grade assigned to
the diamond. This page is intended to be used as a way for you to
become more familiar with the basic types of inclusions which may be
present within a diamond. The examples are intended to be just
that "examples" and are not absolute indications of what each inclusion
type may look like because each inclusion type may take on many
different forms and still be a basic type of inclusion. Be sure
to review our page on
Degrees of Magnification before reading this page so that you have a
basis as to the degrees of magnification that were used to capture the
images displayed on this page. Click on the thumbnail size images
provided below to view a full size picture of the inclusion type being
discussed. Note that most gemological laboratories only indicate
the primary inclusions which are considered to be the basis for the
clarity grade and do not attempt to indicate all of the inclusions
within the diamond, thus we feel it extremely important that you
purchase your diamond from a reputable dealer like ourselves who is able
to provide detailed clarity photographs of the diamonds contained in
their inventory as opposed to working with "virtual dealers" who sell
diamonds without seeing them. The diamonds listed in our
Private Reserve have been carefully
evaluated by experienced diamond graders and are physically in-house and
available for immediate delivery. Those diamonds which contain
clarity characteristics which we feel are a detriment to the diamond or
which fail to meet our expectations in terms of visual performance are
rejected and often appear on the inventory lists of our "virtual"
competition. If you're looking for a precisely cut puppy with a
brilliant personality and a verified pedigree to match, you'll find it
in our Private Reserve.
The key to determining the type of clarity characteristics
within a lab graded diamond is contained within the plotting diagrams
which appear on the lab report. The top half of the diamond is
represented by the diagram pictured on the left and the lower half of
the diamond is represented by the diagram pictured on the left.
Inclusions will be indicated on the section of the plotting diagram
where the inclusion is located and not necessarily where it is visible
from. Thus an inclusion may be indicated in the lower half of
the diamond as is feather indicated by the green arrow in the diagram
provided, but may be apparent from a top down view because the facets of
a diamond are essentially tiny windows that make it possible to see
inclusions from a variety of vantage points. Beneath the plotting
diagram on a GIA diamond grading report there is a "key to symbols"
which indicates the type of inclusions contained within the diamond.
On AGS graded diamonds the key to symbols is usually located on a flap
which is folded beneath the report when it is placed in its folder.
Chips
With regard to "clarity characteristics" a chip is a mark or flaw located
on the surface of the diamond made by the breaking off or gouging out of
a small piece. This is often confused with the term "diamond chip"
which refers to an extremely small diamond. Just for fun, both are
nouns. A chip in the surface of a diamond most often occurs as the
result of a slight impact. Most chips are minor and can be removed
from the surface of the diamond by re-cutting or polishing the gem with
a minimal loss of weight. Extensive chips may require that the
entire diamond be re-cut which usually results in a more substantial
loss of weight, such as a third to a half of the carat weight or more.
[NiceIce/photogallery/photo00002634/real.htm]
The chips pictured above are located on the culet (bottom point) of
the diamond. They are most likely the result of a downward impact
on the diamond when it was being worn or it might have occurred during
the setting process. People often say that they want their diamond
set as low as possible in the prongs, but chips like this are the reason
we like to leave a little space between the bottom point (culet) of the
diamond and the base of the head. The space has the potential to
act as a pad that helps to allow for an unexpected downward impact and
reduces the chance of accidentally chipping the diamond during the
setting process. The diamond tends to press down a little when the
prongs are being crimped into place. A small chip like this does
not really have an effect upon the durability of the diamond and can be
easily removed without incurring a significant loss of weight.
Diamond Crystals:
Diamond crystals are our favorite type of inclusion because
they are essentially nothing more than small diamonds that were trapped
within a larger diamond crystal as it formed. Think of it like
having tiny ice cubes trapped within a larger ice cube as it formed in
your freezer... No big deal. Some of our clients like to
describe the diamond crystals within their diamond as "baby diamonds"
and we suppose that's kind of what they are. Common types of
diamond crystals are described as crystals, needles, clouds and
pinpoints as defined below.
Pinpoints: a "pinpoint" is simply a tiny diamond
crystal that looks like a pinpoint of light when viewed under higher
magnification such as 20x and higher. Pinpoints are often not
indicated on the plotting diagram on diamond grading reports because
they can be difficult to locate, thus you might see the comment
"pinpoints not shown" under the "comments" section of a lab report.
The picture above shows a few normal sized diamond crystals as indicated
by the red arrows and three pinpoint size diamond crystals which are
indicated by the yellow arrows. Pinpoints are indicated on diamond
grading reports as small red dots that are about the size of a pinpoint
- go figure ☺
Clouds: a "cloud" is nothing more than a small group
of pinpoint size diamond crystals. Generally speaking, a "cloud"
will consist of three or more pinpoint size diamond crystals located in
close proximity. Since smaller diamond crystals tend to be
translucent, most clouds are not a reason for concern. However if
a single cloud appears to cover a third or more of a diamond it should
be looked at very closely and the effect that it might be having upon
the visual performance of the diamond must be considered. Clouds
are indicated on diamond grading reports as circles or formations
comprised of small red dots or pinpoints. The first two
photographs above shows a small cloud of pinpoint size diamond crystals
as seen through our Gem Scope using a normal and diffused light
source. Notice how the visibility of the inclusions vary
depending on the light source being used to evaluate them. The
last two pictures show a slightly larger cloud of diamond crystals as
seen through our Gem Scope using a normal and diffused light source.
Both of these examples show clouds which are minimal and which should
not be a concern as they are primarily translucent and are not visible
without substantial magnification.
Needle: a "needle" is simply a long, thin, diamond
crystal... Instead of being circular in shape, it is long and
thin. No big deal. The series of pictures above show one
diamond which contains several needle shaped diamond crystals which are
located within the table facet of the diamond as seen through our Gem
Scope at different levels of magnification and using different light
sources.
Some diamond crystals are more interesting than others...
This one kind of reminded us of a dragon ☺
The diamond crystal within this diamond looks
like a butterfly in flight or perhaps a fish. We usually
photograph in black and white to make it easier to see the inclusions,
but we shot this diamond in color because the diamond crystal was so
prizmatic! Note that the diamond is white in color, but
photographed with a slight brown tint, this is due to the lighting
conditions and is just one of those things that you learn to overlook.
But how cool is this inclusion?
Knots: a "knot" is an included
diamond crystal that extends to the surface of the diamond. In other
words, it is a diamond crystal which reaches the polished surface of a
finished diamond. With proper lighting and magnification you may
be able to see the boundary between the knot and the diamond which
contains it. Knots sometimes resemble raised areas on a facet
surface or group of facets. Differences in the polish quality may
be visible on the surface of the knot and the facet where it is located. We
typically reject diamonds for this characteristic because we feel that
knots provide a potential durability risk to the longevity of the
diamond. The first picture above shows a
knot as seen through our Gem Scope using a normal light source, we
diffused the light source for the second picture to provide you with a
different perspective of the inclusion. The third and fourth
images are extreme close-up's of the inclusion as seen through our Gem
Scope using a normal and diffused light source... No, this is not
a diamond that we brought in for evaluation for consideration for our
inventory, we actually sourced the diamond solely for the purpose of
capturing an image of a knot.
Feathers:
A "feather" is essentially a tiny fracture. We
suppose that the labs use the term "feather" as opposed to "crack"
because it sounds a whole lot more appealing, but then again they don't
call a "cavity" a bubble so who knows... For the sake of
consistency, we're going to refer to the term "feather" in our
description because that is the standard industry term used to describe
small fractures within a diamond. That said, here goes:
Feathers are indicated on the
plotting diagram on diamond grading reports as tiny red lines or
hash marks... Take a good look at the edges of the diamond
indicated above and you will see a whole bunch of tiny red lines
located along the edge of the diamond. Generally speaking, the
presence of a few small feathers are not reason for concern, however
we feel that feathers which are substantial or which break the edge
of the diamond may present a future durability risk to the diamond
and require extensive evaluation. Notice that we did not say
that they should be avoided, we said that they require extensive
evaluation. The first thing to consider is does the feather
break the edge of the stone? Here's a simple trick...
Imagine that the plotting diagram is a paper doll, fold plotting
diagram for the lower half of the diamond under the upper plotting
diagram for the diamond and you have a kind of two dimensional
representation of the position and extent of the feather within the
diamond. No doubt we're losing you. Picture this...
The two halves of the diagram are hinged together by an imaginary
vertical line that is located between the two halves, if you used
that line to fold the piece of paper in half so that the lower
plotting diagram folded under the upper plotting diagram and aligned
the two circles perfectly you would essentially have a two
dimensional plotting diagram of the inclusions. Do that with
the example of the plotting diagram that we have provided above and
you should come to the realization that most of the feathers
indicated on the lower half of the plotting diagram line up with the
feathers indicated on the upper half of the plotting diagram.
And that usually means that the feathers run the gamut of the stone
which might not be such a great thing if the feather is substantial
because it "might" crack further if undue pressure is placed upon
the feather during the setting process. The operative word
here is "might" we are not saying that it "will" happen because the
odds are that the diamond will be set by a seasoned professional
which will take the inclusion into account when setting the diamond,
but we like to err on the side of caution and mention the
possibility.
This is a perfect example of a feather that we would
avoid. The feather is substantial, near the edge of the stone
and runs the gamut of the stone through the girdle facet. A
potential recipe for disaster, we rejected the diamond and returned
it to the open market to be picked up by a less precise dealer.
The first picture shows the feather from a side profile. The
second photograph shows the feather from a top down view and the
last picture shows the feather as seen from the pavilion (lower
half) of the diamond.
This series of photographs focuses on a feather which
is located well within the body of the diamond and thus we feel it
does not present any sort of durability risk. A feather such
as this would not concern us in the least. The first picture
shows the diamond as seen through our Gem Scope using a normal light
source. We diffused the light source for the second picture to
provide you with a different perspective of the inclusion. The
third picture was taken using extreme magnification and at this
level of magnification, the feather is a perfect example of why a
feather is called a feather - notice how it looks just like a white
feather off of a bird. We diffused the light source for the
last picture.
Here is another example of a feather
that we do not feel presents any sort of durability risk... This
feather is larger than most, but is located well within the body of the
diamond and does not exhibit any substantial stress points. The
first picture shows the location of the feather within the diamond from
a side profile. The second and third pictures are close-up's of
the feather as seen through our Gem Scope at 30x magnification.
Naturals & Indented Naturals
Natural: A "natural" is simply
part of the original "skin" of the diamond that was left on the diamond
instead of being removed during the cutting and polishing process.
What is the "skin" of a diamond? Take a look at the picture of the
uncut diamond rough at the top of this page and the rough exterior is
what is considered to be the "skin" of the diamond.
Essentially it is part of the original diamond rough which is the uncut
crystal from which a polished diamond is crafted. Most often a
natural is left on a diamond because removing it would reduce the weight
of the finished diamond unnecessarily. Most naturals are located
along the girdle edge of a diamond although we have also seen them on
minor facets from time to time. We consider most naturals to be a
perfectly acceptable type of inclusion, but give careful consideration
to the location and extent of naturals during our selection process to
determine whether they are acceptable to us or not. As recent as
twenty years ago, it was quite common to find naturals on the "four
corners" of a round brilliant ideal cut diamond (the North, South, East
and West sections) because they served as proof to the owner of the
diamond cutting factory that the cutter had not removed any more of the
diamond rough than necessary.
This series of photographs focuses on
a natural which is located along the girdle edge of the diamond in
alignment with the triangular upper girdle facet, the natural is
indicated by the red arrow. The first picture shows the inclusion
as seen through our Gem Scope from a top down vantage point using a
normal light source. We diffused the light source for the second
picture. The last two pictures show the natural along the girdle
edge as seen from a side profile using a normal and diffused light
source.
This first picture is perhaps one of
the best photographs of a natural that we have been able to capture, the
crystal structure of the natural is actually visible. This natural
has been polished so that it appears more crisp than most of the
naturals that we see which are rough in appearance like the naturals
pictured in the second and third pictures.
Indented Natural: an "indented
natural" is simply a natural which is indented into the surface of the
diamond... Indented naturals are often mistaken for chips by
people who do not take the time to evaluate the inclusion under higher
levels of magnification... Once again, the extent and location of
the inclusion must be taken into account during the evaluation process
to determine whether the inclusion is acceptable. The photographs
above show a variety of indented naturals as seen through our Gem Scope
at higher levels of magnification. Note that if an indented
natural were actually a nick, pit, chip or cavity, that it would be
described as such on the key to symbols as those are different types of
clarity characteristics.
Girdle Finish: Bruted, Polished & Faceted
The girdle is the line which appears
between the upper and lower halves of a diamond. There are several
different ways to finish out the girdle edge of a diamond, the easiest
is to leave the diamond "bruted" which is the result of the bruting
process which shapes the initial shape of a diamond before it is
faceted. Basically two round brilliant cut diamonds are placed in
a machine so that the girdle edges of the diamonds will rub against each
other as they are spun in a circle and the result is a kind of satin
finished edge that looks like the first picture that appears above.
Sometimes the cutter spends a little time polishing the bruted edge of a
diamond so that it appears smooth and shiny and other times they add
tiny facets to the girdle edge of a diamond as a finishing touch.
Bruted, polished or faceted it really doesn't make a difference to us,
the girdle edge of most diamonds is so small that it makes little
difference. Personal preference, that's about it.
Bearding or "dig marks" are small
feathers or breaks along the girdle edge of a diamond that are caused by
the bruting process. We reject for substantial bearding.
Grain Lines: Internal & Surface Graining
Internal Graining: The comment on a lab report indicating
"Internal Graining Not Shown" should not be reason for alarm because it
refers to a clarity characteristic which is usually not readily visible
without the use of extremely high magnification. Internal Graining
should not be considered an "absolute characteristic" because the
visibility depends on the lighting conditions and the specific angle by
which the diamond is being evaluated. It might be visible to an
experience diamond grader who is examining the diamond under laboratory
conditions, but may never be detected by other people. Essentially
internal graining refers to part of the grain structure of the diamond
which was visible as a kind of transparent line to the grader. The
degree of the visibility of the grain lines will have an effect upon the
clarity grade of the diamond and if no other clarity characteristics are
present then the graining may be the basis for the clarity grade of the
diamond. For instance, a diamond that contained small diamond crystals
which by themselves would warrant a clarity grade of VS-1 might be
graded as a VS-2 if internal graining were present. However another
diamond that did not contain the diamond crystals might be graded as
VVS-2 if the grade is based upon internal graining and the comment
"clarity grade based upon internal graining" would appear under the
"comments" section of the lab report while nothing is indicated under
the "keys to symbols" by the plotting diagram.
This series of photographs shows the very subtle effect of
internal graining as seen within a diamond we purchased for inventory at
various degrees of magnification. Notice how the internal graining
is not readily visible in the first picture which was taken using a
magnification level of about 20x. The internal graining is barely
visible in the next two photographs which were taken of the table facet
at about 40x magnification, the grain line appears as a kind of
translucent line as indicated by the light blue arrows. We
increased the magnification substantially for the remaining pictures
which show the internal grain line as seen through our Gem Scope using
normal and diffused light sources.
Surface Graining: The comment on the lab report referring to "Surface
Graining Not Shown" sounds kind of serious but it really isn't...
Surface graining is essentially a transparent line that is part of the
grain of the diamond which happens to be visible across a facet
junction. It is essentially the same thing as Internal Graining
but it resides on the surface of the diamond instead of being within the
crystal structure of the stone. If the surface grain line were
within the structure of the facet and not crossing over the facet line
it wouldn't be mentioned on the lab report because it would be
considered a characteristic of polish. Most surface graining is so
insignificant that we are rarely able to find it and when we do it is
because we are using extensive magnification like 50 - 70x which is
substantially higher than the industry standard of 10x which is supposed
to be used for diamond grading. In the case of a diamond graded as
Internally Flawless in clarity, as a general rule it is likely that the
diamond may have been graded as Flawless instead of Internally Flawless
if the surface graining were not present.
Reflections of Inclusions
The facets of a diamond are essentially tiny mirrors which
serve to reflect light back up towards the surface of the diamond.
Quite often these mirrors will also cause an inclusion to reflect within
the diamond so that it appears more numerous than it really is and so
that it appears to exist in areas of the diamond where it was not.
This phenomena can make it quite challenging to correctly identify the
inclusions within a diamond, represent the position of inclusions
accurately and sometimes to even locate a specific inclusion based on
the plotting diagram provided on the lab report. The first picture
provided above is a perfect example of the dilemma we are describing,
click on the thumbnail to view the full size picture and try to figure
out which of the white specks is the real diamond crystal. The
second picture is an excellent example of how inclusions located on one
side of a diamond as indicated by the red arrows can reflect to another
location within the diamond as indicated by the light blue arrows.
Reflections within a diamond are essentially a product of the design and
facet structure of a diamond and are to be expected, the trick is trying
to determine what is real and what is illusion.
Twinning Wisps (Intergrowth)
The term Twinning Wisps, also known as Intergrowth, is used
to describe the formation of inclusions which have twisted together
within a twinning plane. The formation might include a variety of
inclusions such as pinpoint size diamond crystals, fractures, crystals,
feathers and clouds. The formation often looks like white striping
within the diamond similar to stretch marks on skin. Twinning wisps
are most often found in fancy shape diamonds such as pear shapes, heart
shapes and triangles because they are often fashioned from twinned
crystals, however twinning wisps can appear within other diamond shapes
as well depending on the quality of the diamond rough that was used to
make the stone. We seldom see twinning wisps within the ideal cut
diamonds that we sift through for our inventory because most of the
cutters that we work with produce higher end goods and thus would remove
the intergrowth from their production, however we have seen twinning
wisps in lower quality goods which are produced by companies who's
primary focus is larger, inexpensive diamonds in which case they work
with less expensive, lower quality diamond rough to shape their
production.
May we help you find the diamond of your dreams?
Send us an email diamonds@niceice.com
and tell us what you are looking for.
Or give us a call at 206.319.8152 or Toll Free 877.844.5443
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Ice, Inc.
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