VVS1 or...?

[podfoot]

I don't understand if this stone was graded correctly or not.

I was looking at a VVS1 stone under a loupe, and could not find any flaws with it, which is what i expected. However, i started looking at the girdle, and i noticed a small greenish/black mark on the girdle, almost like a scratch. It is very small, but it is obviously on the girdle facet. When looking at the stone without the loupe, I cannot see it unless I get the light to reflect off the surface of the facet to create the white "flat shine". It is very small. I tried capturing it with a camera but this proved impossible. I examined this stone VERY thoroughly, and I could imagine this getting overlooked.

Should this stone have been graded VVS1 if I can see this small "inclusion" on the side of the girdle with the naked eye? Honestly you would not notice it unless you knew exactly where it was (from the loup). It just like a tiny "blip" in the flat reflection from the facet of the girdle (very small!). It almost seems like the facet was scratched very slightly...

The documentation does not indicate where/why it is VVS1, and like i said, this is the only inclusion I can find. Is this proper VVS1? I feel like according to the definition this should be a VS1 or VS2, but it is seriously so tiny and on the girdle, and everything else seems IF about the stone... I just don't know what to think?

 

[kenny]

I don't understand if this stone was graded correctly or not.

I was looking at a VVS1 stone under a loupe, and could not find any flaws with it, which is what i expected. However, i started looking at the girdle, and i noticed a small greenish/black mark on the girdle, almost like a scratch. It is very small, but it is obviously on the girdle facet. When looking at the stone without the loupe, I cannot see it unless I get the light to reflect off the surface of the facet to create the white "flat shine". It is very small. I tried capturing it with a camera but this proved impossible. I examined this stone VERY thoroughly, and I could imagine this getting overlooked.

Should this stone have been graded VVS1 if I can see this small "inclusion" on the side of the girdle with the naked eye? Honestly you would not notice it unless you knew exactly where it was (from the loup). It just like a tiny "blip" in the flat reflection from the facet of the girdle (very small!). It almost seems like the facet was scratched very slightly...

The documentation does not indicate where/why it is VVS1, and like i said, this is the only inclusion I can find. Is this proper VVS1? I feel like according to the definition this should be a VS1 or VS2, but it is seriously so tiny and on the girdle, and everything else seems IF about the stone... I just don't know what to think?

Who graded it?
The lab report should show something on the clarity plots on a stone that's not F or IF, or mention something regarding the clarity in the comments section.

Something 'green/black' on the girdle is not a facet.
That's confusing.
Can you elaborate?

 

[podfoot]

Who graded it?
The lab report should show something on the clarity plots on a stone that's not F or IF, or mention something regarding the clarity in the comments section.

Something 'green/black' on the girdle is not a facet.
That's confusing.
Can you elaborate?

I'm sorry, I should have elaborated. It was graded by the North American Gemological Laboratory (NAGL). It did not come with clarity plots - I know this is not standard or typical, that's why I'm asking this question here.

The green/black scratch is on a facet on the girdle, and can only be visualized from a loupe, or when the light catches the facet (adamantine luster) the scratch is on you can barely make it out.

 

[Gypsy]

Who graded it?
The lab report should show something on the clarity plots on a stone that's not F or IF, or mention something regarding the clarity in the comments section.

Something 'green/black' on the girdle is not a facet.
That's confusing.
Can you elaborate?

I'm sorry, I should have elaborated. It was graded by the North American Gemological Laboratory (NAGL). It did not come with clarity plots - I know this is not standard or typical, that's why I'm asking this question here.

The green/black scratch is on a facet on the girdle, and can only be visualized from a loupe, or when the light catches the facet (adamantine luster) the scratch is on you can barely make it out.

Good god. Return it .

It's not a VVS.
Stick to GIA and AGS only. No other lab.

Learn more about diamonds before you waste more time and money, please.

 

[podfoot]

Who graded it?
The lab report should show something on the clarity plots on a stone that's not F or IF, or mention something regarding the clarity in the comments section.

Something 'green/black' on the girdle is not a facet.
That's confusing.
Can you elaborate?

I'm sorry, I should have elaborated. It was graded by the North American Gemological Laboratory (NAGL). It did not come with clarity plots - I know this is not standard or typical, that's why I'm asking this question here.

The green/black scratch is on a facet on the girdle, and can only be visualized from a loupe, or when the light catches the facet (adamantine luster) the scratch is on you can barely make it out.

Good god. Return it .

It's not a VVS.
Stick to GIA and AGS only. No other lab.

Learn more about diamonds before you waste more time and money, please.

I think I do have a pretty good understanding of diamonds.

I pulled this definition canadadiamonds.com: "IF: Internally flawless; only external flaws are present, which can be removed by further polishing the stone"

I can not find any internal flaws with the diamond, it is completely eye clean with the exception of this barely imperceptible scratch on a girdle facet. I looked at it again and it was seriously no more than a pin prick from the naked eye, and I would severely doubt anyone could possibly notice it without a loupe. Wouldn't it possible this could polish out? I literally cannot find any other inclusions....

I appreciate you looking out for me, but I've spent a lot of time researching this stuff, and I don't know why you think it can't be VVS1? I looked at it under a loupe and a microscope (my dad is a coin collector), and I couldn't find anything but this, and this took me a long time to find (it's on a girdle facet, for crying out loud!).

 

[Niel]

Who graded it?
The lab report should show something on the clarity plots on a stone that's not F or IF, or mention something regarding the clarity in the comments section.

Something 'green/black' on the girdle is not a facet.
That's confusing.
Can you elaborate?

I'm sorry, I should have elaborated. It was graded by the North American Gemological Laboratory (NAGL). It did not come with clarity plots - I know this is not standard or typical, that's why I'm asking this question here.

The green/black scratch is on a facet on the girdle, and can only be visualized from a loupe, or when the light catches the facet (adamantine luster) the scratch is on you can barely make it out.

Good god. Return it .

It's not a VVS.
Stick to GIA and AGS only. No other lab.

Learn more about diamonds before you waste more time and money, please.

I think I do have a pretty good understanding of diamonds.

I pulled this definition canadadiamonds.com: "IF: Internally flawless; only external flaws are present, which can be removed by further polishing the stone"

I can not find any internal flaws with the diamond, it is completely eye clean with the exception of this barely imperceptible scratch on a girdle facet. I looked at it again and it was seriously no more than a pin prick from the naked eye, and I would severely doubt anyone could possibly notice it without a loupe. Wouldn't it possible this could polish out? I literally cannot find any other inclusions....

I appreciate you looking out for me, but I've spent a lot of time researching this stuff, and I don't know why you think it can't be VVS1? I looked at it under a loupe and a microscope (my dad is a coin collector), and I couldn't find anything but this, and this took me a long time to find (it's on a girdle facet, for crying out loud!).

Gypsy sometimes puts things bluntly. This is not to insult or upset, but to put something in very clear terms for you.

The reason she is saying to return it is because the grading lab that graded your diamond is not as reputable as other grading labs. They are soft on grading. What's that mean? Where a stricter lab may have given this a lower clarity (and probably color) rating, this lab didn't. What would GIA or AGS have graded it, sense they are the stricter labs? No one knows. If no one knows, how do you know you're getting what you paid for..

People who cut and deal diamonds are smart. If they could gave gotten a VVS grading for that stone from GIA, you better bet they would have gotten it graded by gia.

Also, even gia FL or IF are graded at 10x, meaning they very well may have flaws.

That lab is telling you its VVS- people who are blissfully ignorant or choose to ignore the fact that that lab is soft are happy with that. But you've probably overpaid for that stone, and it very well may be a VS2 clarity grade by stricter grading standards. (Or lower, if it in fact is visible to the naked eye)

 

[Texas Leaguer]

If the feature you are describing is superficial and confined to the girdle, potentially it may legitimately not be factored into the clarity grade, and it may not even be mentioned on the report.

A true VVS1 is very difficult, even for an experienced grader, to locate and resolve the inclusion. For someone not looking at diamonds on an every day basis, it is much less likely that you will be able to see the feature.

Whether you have a VVS stone there or not is anyone's guess. If that is important to you, and it appears to be, then you should send it to GIA for confirmation.

 

[podfoot]

Thanks everyone for the replies. There are probably inclusions that I am unable to locate, but otherwise, it's a very nice stone.

I'm not sure how I will proceed right now, but the scratch/inclusion does look superficial!

 

[John P]

I'm sorry, I should have elaborated. It was graded by the North American Gemological Laboratory (NAGL). It did not come with clarity plots - I know this is not standard or typical, that's why I'm asking this question here.

Have you called Mr. Elliott at NAGL and asked him, directly?

 

[podfoot]

I'm sorry, I should have elaborated. It was graded by the North American Gemological Laboratory (NAGL). It did not come with clarity plots - I know this is not standard or typical, that's why I'm asking this question here.

Have you called Mr. Elliott at NAGL and asked him, directly?

I have not. I had some local jewelers look at it, and they all said it was beautiful. I'm not too worried about it - it was a good deal.

 

[kenny]

I'm sorry, I should have elaborated. It was graded by the North American Gemological Laboratory (NAGL). It did not come with clarity plots - I know this is not standard or typical, that's why I'm asking this question here.

Have you called Mr. Elliott at NAGL and asked him, directly?

I have not. I had some local jewelers look at it, and they all said it was beautiful. I'm not too worried about it - it was a good deal.

It's possible you've been ripped off.
How 'good' of a deal it was depends on the grades.
But what if the grades are not correct?
What if the true grades are much worse than that NAGL report states?

This happens every day.
Zillons of unsuspecting customers buy 'over-graded' diamonds and think they got a great deal when actually they got ripped off.

The grades from many off-labs are often higher (better) than GIA or AGS would give the same stone.
IOW a diamond that got F VVS1 grades from a flakey lab may get H VS2 or worse from GIA or AGS.

I've been reading PS for 10 years and have never heard of NAGL.
That concerns me.
You feeling safe because people who sell diamond say it's beautiful concerns me.

Many Many over-graded diamonds are sold every day and lawsuits are currently pending against some of the EGL labs for this scam.
Of course, jewelers who sell such stones are always going tell customers how "beautiful" the diamonds are.
They make more money selling these stones than selling GIA/AGS stones which have believable grades.

Buyer beware.