Can clouds be dark?

[sugarplum]

There are clear/white crytal inclusions and there are dark/black ones so I was wondering if clouds can be dark too.

I''ve seen a lot of stones with clouds but none have been dark or black...but do they exist? I''m considering an online stone and it has a cloud or two as the main inclusions (it''s a VS2). I don''t want the first dark cloud I see to be in the stone that I purchase (it''s a VS2 so I probably won''t be able to see it without a loupe but I have mind clean issues...).

 

[MWG]

Date: 6/16/2007 1:53:20 PM
Author:sugarplum
There are clear/white crytal inclusions and there are dark/black ones so I was wondering if clouds can be dark too.

I''ve seen a lot of stones with clouds but none have been dark or black...but do they exist? I''m considering an online stone and it has a cloud or two as the main inclusions (it''s a VS2). I don''t want the first dark cloud I see to be in the stone that I purchase (it''s a VS2 so I probably won''t be able to see it without a loupe but I have mind clean issues...).

I would think that if the stone is graded a VS2 by a reputable company, then you will not be see the clouds with your naked eye.

But, you need to ask the vendor and they should be able to tell you if the stone is EYE CLEAN. Stress to them that you do not want to see any BLACK INCLUSIONS anywhere on the stone.

Also, another suggestion, since you are having "mind clean" issues. I would make sure that the company you deal with has a great return policy.

Good Luck
MWG

 

[WorkingHardforSmallRewards]

Yea, as you may or may not know I am dealing with this same issue. Tell them to check it from every angle and let them know that you want them totally invisible with the naked eye, not just from 12 inches away (or however you define eyeclean)and ask them to tell you what color all of the inclusions are. they will do it for you, and if they don't then you should def work with someone else.

 

[sugarplum]

Date: 6/16/2007 2:28:52 PM
Author: WorkingHardforSmallRewards
Yea, as you may or may not know I am dealing with this same issue. Tell them to check it from every angle and let them know that you want them totally invisible with the naked eye, not just from 12 inches away (or however you define eyeclean)and ask them to tell you what color all of the inclusions are. they will do it for you, and if they don''t then you should def work with someone else.

WorkingHard- just curious, what did the dark cloud look like? You were able to see it with the naked eye? Can you describe it? I''d like to know what I should look for...or is it something you can''t miss?

Thanks!

 

[strmrdr]

A GIA/AGS graded setting si cloud can be an issue, vs2 shouldn't be.
Sometimes these stones will be sent to lesser labs for a vs grade so you do have to watch it.

 

[oldminer]

Most all "clouds" are rather shapeless, white color mists of inclusions. Form certain angles most colorless inclusions or white inclusions block the transmission of light and appear blackish. Truly black inclusions are ALWAYS visible as black. Many people see inclusions from the side of the pavilion, but not in the face up view. An "eye clean" diamond has no visible inclusions in the face-up position. Whiteflash has a good definition of what they mean by eye-clean, but others may use a different approach. A diamond that is only eye-clean diamond is not a top clarity one. Don't expect more than what you are asking for or you are probably going to be unhappy.

 

[WorkingHardforSmallRewards]

I think there was a misunderstanding of what I said. I want a diamond where the inclusions can not be seen from any angle with the naked eye, not a "top clarity" diamond necessarily but one that appears to be one without a loupe. Thus I have repeatedly asked the patient people down and James Allen to check to see if the stone I am in the process of buying is up to my particularly rigid definition of eye clean. They have checked it for me from all angles, and they also told me that the inclusion is "white."

So what I mean is that if you communicate with the jeweler well they should be able to investigate the stone for you according to your own request, and they can also tell you about the color of the inclusion.

My understanding is that its all about how the diamond is graded. If you look at an "eye-clean" stone from the top down you won't see anything. But with the loupe a tiny little black speck might take a minute or two to locate from the table, just because to find it you have to focus in on so many individual regions of the diamond, while a cloud of tiny white crystals that takes up 5 times as much area as the tiny black inclusion might be readily visible under 10 times magnification.

But at the same time they are both very small, and the cloud consisting of very very very small inclusions bunched together may yet be invisible to the naked eye from all angles, while the little black inclusion could be clearly visible from the pavilion side, even though it might appear smaller under magnification.
I assume clouds can consist of tiny black inclusions, but each inclusion should be so small that you probably couldn't really determine a "color" especially in a VS2.

All I can really say for sure though is talk to your jeweler and have them check everything for you and they should do a good job of telling you what they see and what color the inclusions are, but first they need to know exactly what you are expecting from them.