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Clarity

Our third factor in determining the value of a diamond is the presence -or absence- of inclusions within the diamond and blemishes on its surface. Sometimes referred to as "birthmarks of nature", they generally do not affect the beauty of a stone, but they almost always affect its price.

These inclusions are often not visible to the naked eye. Even using a 10x jeweler's loupe may be not enough in some cases. For this reason, insist on viewing the diamond through a gem binocular microscope.

One unique advantage of the Ideal Cut is that sparkle can mask otherwise noticeable inclusions.

FL-IF	VVS1-VVS2	V-VS2	SI1-SI2	I1-I2
No inclusions visible under 10x magnification.	Minute-extremely difficult to find under 10x.	Minor-difficult to locate find under 10x magnification.	Noticeable, relatively easy to find under 10x magnification.	Obvious under 10x- Just visible to the naked eye.
FL=Flawless IF= Internally Flawless	VVS=Very, very slight inclusions.	VS=Very slight inclusions.	SI=Small inclusions	I=Imperfect