How Fine Diamonds Are Graded For Clarity And What Affects The Rating

By:Gregg Hall

A diamond is graded for clarity based on the number of flaws it has inside and out. The fewer flaws there are on it and inside and out the more valuable it is going to be. There are only a few stones that can be classified as flawless and they are of seriously high value. Most flaws on diamonds cannot be seen without a special jeweler's microscope of at least up to 10 times or more magnification. All stones are scanned for flaws before being ruled as flawless.

The best and most accurate tests that can be done are done at GIA. It scores the stones from what it created a system to measure the clarity of stones. They are scored from imperfect to perfect to all that fall in between. Diamonds with few imperfections are infinitely more valuable than those that have more which are usually cut down into the smaller diamonds that make up accent pieces.

Inclusions are flaws made inside a diamond and most cannot be seen very easily. Most of all flaws are not visible to your eyes without using the jeweler's tool as mentioned before to increase magnification. There is a name for every type of flaw known to man. Carbons are small back dots that affect the surface of a diamond and most likely cannot be seen with the naked eye. Pinpoints attack the surface of the stones with white dots and are the most common flaws of all diamonds. Clouds inside the diamond affect it because it is foggy and not clear inside the diamond. The clouds are actually really made of small crystals made together to form a cloudy looking stone. Feathers are cracks on the diamond this is probably the worse kind of flaw you could ever have as a stone owner.

You can treat your diamonds very easily with cleaners or if you don't know how you can learn. Most diamonds with high flaws are painted to look as a good stone; others are lasered to remove some flaws, but not all. Even though it decreases the value of the stone to go through with treatments it will make your stone look a world different then it did before the treatment. If you have a certificate of authenticity then you are guaranteed the diamond is of a certain value. It will state that your diamond is a registered diamond and either has little flaws or no flaws at all. Most jewelers when selling stones will offer these certificates and if they don't and you ask for one then you don't need to buy a stone from there because more than likely it's not a good or real stone.

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Article keywords: diamonds, colored diamonds, gemstones, jewelry, diamond care, diamond cleaning, diamond clarity

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Gregg Hall is an author living with his beautiful wife and family in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about jewelry as well as diamond engagement rings at http://www.finediamondsandgemstones.com

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