What is diamond clarity, and how much does it matter?
Clarity grades the tiny natural marks inside a diamond, from Flawless (FL) down to Included (I3). Anything graded VS2 or better is eye-clean — you cannot see a single mark without a jeweller's 10× loupe — so paying for a grade above VS2 buys a better certificate, not a better-looking diamond.
Every diamond formed under enormous heat and pressure, and almost every one carries traces of that: minute crystals, feathers and clouds trapped inside as it grew. Gemologists call them inclusions. They are the diamond's fingerprint, and in the overwhelming majority of stones they are far too small to see.
Clarity grading is done under 10× magnification. That is the crucial detail — a grader is looking at a hugely magnified image, whereas you will look at the stone from about 30 cm away. A mark that determines the grade may be completely invisible in life.
So the honest guidance runs against the instinct to buy the top grade. Find the lowest clarity grade that is still eye-clean for the size of stone you want, and put the difference into carat weight or colour, both of which you can actually see.
The scale, Flawless to Included
Each diamond below is drawn with the inclusions typical of its grade — at roughly the scale a jeweller sees them through a 10× loupe, not the scale you see them at arm's length.
VVS1 — Eye-clean — any marks inside need 10× magnification to find. You will never see them.
The dark marks are drawn at roughly the scale a jeweller sees them through a 10× loupe — many times larger than they appear to you holding the piece at arm's length.
Every grade, in plain words
The only line that matters: eye-clean
Almost every clarity decision reduces to one question — will you ever see anything? Above VS2 the answer is no, at any size we sell.
Reaching VS2 or better, so the stone is clean to the naked eye. Going higher on a large stone, where inclusions have more room to show.
Flawless or Internally Flawless on a stone under two carats. You are buying a line on a certificate that no human eye can verify — put the money into carat weight instead.
Common questions
What clarity grade is good enough?
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VS2 is the widely accepted sweet spot: eye-clean in almost every stone under 2 carats, at a noticeably lower price than VVS. For stones above 2 carats, VS1 is a safer floor, as inclusions have more room to show.
What does VVS clarity mean?
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Very, Very Slightly Included. Inclusions are so small that a skilled grader has difficulty finding them even at 10× magnification. It is the second-highest band on the scale, below only Flawless and Internally Flawless.
Are diamond inclusions bad?
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Not usually. They are natural and, above SI1, invisible without magnification. They only matter when they sit under the table of the stone where they can be seen, or when a large feather reaches the surface and affects durability — which is why grade alone is not the whole story.
Can you see inclusions in a VS1 diamond?
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Not with the naked eye. A VS1 diamond has minor inclusions that a gemologist can locate at 10× magnification but which are invisible to you in ordinary wear, at any normal viewing distance.
Do lab-grown diamonds have inclusions?
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Yes. Lab-grown diamonds form by the same crystal growth and carry the same kinds of internal characteristics, graded on the same FL–I scale. Because the process is controlled, high clarity grades are more common and cost far less than the natural equivalent.
Last reviewed August 2026