Inclusions... visible or eye clean??

[snnk]

Hi, I have my heart set on a particular diamond as it is within budget and a 1.6 ct (SI1). Could you please look at these pictures and give feedback on whether you think the inclusions would be visible by the naked eye? I've been told this stone is eye clean but I'm not convinced as the inclusions are black?? Does anyone have more experience with similar stones? Also, would the many inclusions affect light return in your opinion?
Many thanks!

 

[mskeno]

Hi, I have my heart set on a particular diamond as it is within budget and a 1.6 ct (SI1). Could you please look at these pictures and give feedback on whether you think the inclusions would be visible by the naked eye? I've been told this stone is eye clean but I'm not convinced as the inclusions are black?? Does anyone have more experience with similar stones? Also, would the many inclusions affect light return in your opinion?
Many thanks!

I'm not an expert so I would say ask the vendor for additional photos or a video of the diamond you're planning to purchase. Tell them you want to verify that it is indeed eye-clean. I think some "eye-clean" diamonds aren't eye-clean to certain people; it really depends on the person and his/her perception of the diamond.

 

[tmot14]

It can be hard to tell from one image, especially when these images are magnified so much. If I were you, I'd ask for more photos or a video and also make sure the vendor has a good return policy in case you find it's not eyeclean for you.

 

[lknvrb4]

I would ask the vendor if the stone has any black carbons in it, that was a deal breaker for me because those can be visible. Those black inclusions look a lot like them.

 

[inclusionking]

To better answer that first we have to agree on what you mean by eye clean. That, like everything else relating to diamonds has a range. Depending who you ask it means the inclusions are NOT visible from A 6-12 inch distance, IN natural daylight BY someone with 20/20 vision. (People with 15/20 need not apply)

Most inclusions tend to be black. It's an SI1, 90% chance it is eye-clean, meaning inclusions are NOT visible from 6-12 inches away by someone with 20/20 vision. Any closer and i'm sure you will be able to spot the inclusions. Nothing wrong with that though. You're looking to buy a SI1 stone, you're supposed to be able to see the inclusions if you scrutinize it enough. If anybody ever buys a SI1 without any inclusions in it, return it, you just got ripped off. That's one of the benefits of having inclusions in diamonds. THEY PROVE IT'S A REAL DIAMOND!!
Don't worry about those few, tiny black crystals affecting the light performance. They don't... AT ALL. Check the plot and i'm sure you'll see that they're not that many crystals as it might seem. What you're seeing are just reflections of the crystals themselves, making it look a lot busier. If you like everything else about the stone buy it. I like when a stone reflects the inclusions it has. It's a nice optical illusion. Tell the people you'll give them the stone if they can guess how many crystals are in it. Everyone will count the reflections as well.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I don't think I'd be happy with black reflecting inclusions, but it may be eyelcean. I'd want a video for sure and even then I'd probably have to see it in person before setting it. You want to know if it is clean from the sides, as well, if the sides will be seen in the setting.

 

[snnk]

Thanks everyone for your input! It's difficult when you don't have the stone in front of you... There's no video available that I can find. I got some comments from a site selling the stone though:
Vendors comments:
Medium black, medium center, not milky
BLACK:TABLE - Medium : SIDE - Heavy ; WHITE:TABLE - Medium : SID...

Not sure what it means. This particular site (eternity by yoni) didn't recommend the stone even though it appeared on their site.

I do think you're right inclusionking. The plot does not have many markings on it, so it's probably the few same dark carbon inclusions being reflected...

 

[Chihuahua6]

Thanks everyone for your input! It's difficult when you don't have the stone in front of you... There's no video available that I can find. I got some comments from a site selling the stone though:
Vendors comments:
Medium black, medium center, not milky
BLACK:TABLE - Medium : SIDE - Heavy ; WHITE:TABLE - Medium : SID...

Not sure what it means. This particular site (eternity by yoni) didn't recommend the stone even though it appeared on their site.

I do think you're right inclusionking. The plot does not have many markings on it, so it's probably the few same dark carbon inclusions being reflected...

I never saw vendor comments like this. I am curious what they mean. Does anyone know?

 

[JoshuaNiamehr]

Thanks everyone for your input! It's difficult when you don't have the stone in front of you... There's no video available that I can find. I got some comments from a site selling the stone though:
Vendors comments:
Medium black, medium center, not milky
BLACK:TABLE - Medium : SIDE - Heavy ; WHITE:TABLE - Medium : SID...

Not sure what it means. This particular site (eternity by yoni) didn't recommend the stone even though it appeared on their site.

I do think you're right inclusionking. The plot does not have many markings on it, so it's probably the few same dark carbon inclusions being reflected...

I never saw vendor comments like this. I am curious what they mean. Does anyone know?

Those are the polishers notes on the inclusions (inclusion descriptions).

Black in the table that is medium sized, white inclusion in the size but heavy (large), white inclusion in the table that is medium sized.

Many polishers give dealers that information so they can decide sight unseen if they want a specific diamond or not.

 

[Chihuahua6]

Ahh I see. That makes sense. Thanks for explaining.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

To better answer that first we have to agree on what you mean by eye clean. That, like everything else relating to diamonds has a range. Depending who you ask it means the inclusions are NOT visible from A 6-12 inch distance, IN natural daylight BY someone with 20/20 vision. (People with 15/20 need not apply)

Most inclusions tend to be black. It's an SI1, 90% chance it is eye-clean, meaning inclusions are NOT visible from 6-12 inches away by someone with 20/20 vision. Any closer and i'm sure you will be able to spot the inclusions. Nothing wrong with that though. You're looking to buy a SI1 stone, you're supposed to be able to see the inclusions if you scrutinize it enough. If anybody ever buys a SI1 without any inclusions in it, return it, you just got ripped off. That's one of the benefits of having inclusions in diamonds. THEY PROVE IT'S A REAL DIAMOND!!
Don't worry about those few, tiny black crystals affecting the light performance. They don't... AT ALL. Check the plot and i'm sure you'll see that they're not that many crystals as it might seem. What you're seeing are just reflections of the crystals themselves, making it look a lot busier. If you like everything else about the stone buy it. I like when a stone reflects the inclusions it has. It's a nice optical illusion. Tell the people you'll give them the stone if they can guess how many crystals are in it. Everyone will count the reflections as well.

I disagree with some of the statements above. I would not say most inclusions are black. It is primarily crystals that have the tendency to look black. There are many other types of inclusions in diamonds beside crystals. Features such as twinning wisps, feathers,clouds, and grain lines are rarely black. Having said that, there is nothing inherently wrong with a black crystal from an appearance standpoint. In fact small black crystals may be preferred over other types of inclusions. If they are strategically located they can hide very nicely among the on/off contrast patterns of the diamond's scintillation.

Regarding reflecting inclusions, they are not simply conversation pieces. While a great number of inclusions will reflect from pavilion view and may never be seen when the diamond is set, those that reflect multiple times from table view can make inclusions more noticeable from more angles. A reflector can also impact the clarity grade, sometimes significantly.

 

[snnk]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I decided to stay away from the carbon black inclusions!