How to Evaluate a Diamond for Clarity

A skillfully cut diamond can have several visible inclusions and still be beautiful because the facets reflect light away from the problem areas

A diamond's clarity is one of the most important factors in determining the beauty of a stone. Clarity refers to the presence or absence of flaws and inclusions, such as carbon deposits, inside the diamond. These types of anomalies cause a diamond to have less sparkle and can even make parts of the stone look dull and cloudy. There are two types of clarity that you should be concerned about--those that can be seen with the naked eye and those that cannot. We will discuss how to evaluate these issues and decide if a given stone is the right diamond for you.

Things You'll Need

• Magnifying glass
• Good light

Instructions

1. Examine the view from overhead. A diamond should appear sparkling and brilliant when viewed from above. Even if there are visible inclusions, the top surface should not indicate their presence. If the surface appears cloudy or you can see dark spots instead of sparkling facets when you look down on the top of the stone, then the diamond has some serious flaws and should be priced accordingly.

2. 

   Look at the stone from the sides. You may be able to see discolorations or dark specks in the diamond when you view it from the side that you did not notice from the top. These are less of an issue than marks visible from above, but if they are visible to the naked eye then the diamond is still less valuable than a diamond with no major inclusions. You will need to decide if these marks matter to you and also if they will even be visible in the setting for the stone. If they are not, then you will likely be able to spend far less money and potentially purchase a bigger diamond than if you require a gem with no visible flaws at all.

3. Examine the stone under a magnifying glass or jeweler's glass. If you are working with a jeweler, ask them to sketch the inclusions that you see on your diamond. Inclusions that are invisible to the naked eye are often good identifying marks for stones, and some diamond cutters even deliberately leave a slight notch or rough edge in a facet to help an owner distinguish between their stone and a stand-in.

4. Look at the stone in your chosen setting. This will help you determine how the inclusions in the diamond will actually affect the appearance of the piece of jewelry. Particularly if you have chosen a bevel setting, a skillfully cut diamond can contain several large inclusions and you will be the only one to ever know.

5. Take the diamond to an independent appraiser. This is the best way to determine what the clarity of the diamond is actually worth. If necessary, you may need to work with the appraiser and the vendor to transport the stone safely and securely from one location to the other. Do not let the stone out of your sight even if you have not yet purchased it because if it is swapped for a stone of lesser value, the vendor will likely still hold you responsible.

Tips & Warnings

• Every diamond is unique, but few people are aware of this and unscrupulous jewelers have been known to switch stones out of rings while pretending to clean, examine or appraise them. Unless you know and trust your jeweler, do not allow them to leave your sight with your ring or other diamond jewelry.