Transparency of a diamond is like its smile. The clearer a stone is, the better are its aesthetics. That explains the clamor for clear stones in engagement rings and such sections where a diamond is the center piece. But what exactly is transparency, and why is it that some stones have so ample of it while others’ so little? Let’s study in detail the transparency of a diamond and go beyond the certificates to understand that finer points of it.
Clarity Grading
Clarity of diamonds is graded on the basis of the clouds that do not show themselves. This is the part you will not see mentioned in a certificate. In addition to that, the clarity of a stone is graded on a bunch of other things, not all of which makes it to the certificate. Optical symmetry is one of the properties that is almost never mentioned in the certificate. Nor is eye-cleanliness which is wholly a thing devised by buyers and jewelers to examine the clarity of a stone to the naked eyes.
Causes of Poor Transparency
Clarity in diamonds is the lack of blemishes. In other words, it is the same blemishes that is the enemy of transparency. Flaws, blemishes, inclusions, together they are the clouds that make a crystal unclear. Although from outside, these are nothing more than clusters of pinpoints inside the crystals, in terms of evaluation they deserve negative marking. That’s why diamonds that are acceptably clear are cheaper than those that are fully and flawlessly clear. A microscopic study reveals that level of transparency, or its lack thereof in a diamond.
The Sweet Spot
According to GIA’s grading system, the clarity of a diamond starts from FL to I, FL being flawless and I being Included. So, what does a mediocre buyer aim for? Between the most expensive and least expensive grades lies the sweet spot. The VSI, according to many is that sweet spot. Diamond in this category are mostly eye-clear, and although under magnification they may reveal significant flaws, to the naked eye, they are as good as any VVSI diamond. It behooves a person with a finite budget to pick from this category because it promises great looking stones for a decent price.
Unless you are absolutely set on the FL grade, the grades between FL and VS host some extremely good-quality diamonds that give buyers their money’s worth.
