The Clarity of a Diamond
The clarity of a diamond refers to the irregularities that occur either inside of or on the outside of the diamond because they are formed in the earth and Mother Nature is seldom absolutely perfect. Inclusions are irregularities inside of the stone and blemishes are on the surface. The grading scale developed by GIA runs from Flawless which has no inclusions or blemishes to I3 which is heavily included:
The Color of a Diamond
The color of a diamond traditionally refers to the lack of color present in the stone. Most diamonds are near colorless with varying degrees of yellow or brown. Diamonds that are truly colorless are very rare. The jewelry industry uses a scale developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) that ranges from D (colorless) to Z (light brown). Diamonds also exist in colors other than yellow and brown, for example blue, purple, and pink. The more color present in these diamonds usually translates into a higher value.
