Does clarity affect sparkle?

[iluvdiamonds2]

When going for diamonds, I want an extremely sparkly stone. I was considering SI stones to help stay on budget.
Should I be going for a VVS if I want this kind of sparkly dance?

Thank you

 

[kelpie]

It would have to be very cloudy and included to interfere with sparkle, like a bad I1 through I3. As long as you get a great cut and an eyeclean stone, the SI will be as sparkly as an equivelent spec VVS.

 

[Circe]

It would have to be very cloudy and included to interfere with sparkle, like a bad I1 through I3. As long as you get a great cut and an eyeclean stone, the SI will be as sparkly as an equivelent spec VVS.

This. I wanted the mind-clean VS ... until I saw my first big SI1 up close and personal. Never going back!

 

[IceExplorer]

I was faced with the the same concern when I was shopping.

In my case, that answer was No, it doesn't but I'm not saying it can't.

I went with the: eye clean Ideal H&A SI1 from BGD. After it was shipped to me for review, I was sold. They did a great job explaining the inclusions and its relative performance.

Both my fiance and I are thrilled with the sparkle and performance of the diamond. As are the many people who regularly compliment her on it.

Don't hesitate to ask the vendor of each stone their opinion. They will examine and provide an honest opinion of whether it is eye clean and how it performs. This was the case with the 3 pricescope vendors I spoke with. I found at some B&Ms their opinions were much loser. Also, when speaking with a vendor confirm the stone is in-house and not being drop shipped.

Good luck!

 

[iota15]

Also, when speaking with a vendor confirm the stone is in-house and not being drop shipped.

Good luck!

The important thing - whether the stone is currently in-house or not - is that the vendor has an opportunity to see the stone, examine it and advise you of its eye-cleaniness or other potential problems. A lot of stones out there are "virtual stones", as it's very expensive to keep a large stock of in-house stones. However, good vendors will bring the virtual stone in from wherever it is, examine and photograph it for you. The top vendors (WF, BGD, GOG, Wink, DBL, JA) are extremely honest about its eye cleaniness.

"Drop shippers" never see the virtual stones in person. They just send it right to you from its current location.

If it helps, I just put up pictures of my Si2 in the SMTB forum. The clarity has no negative effect on this particular stone, but each Si stone should be examined on a case by case basis. Also, here's an article by CoatiMundi on what is "eye-clean": https://www.pricescope.com/journal/what_eye_clean_diamond/

 

[MarkBroumand]

A great cut will always prevail when it comes to fire and brilliance. SI's are a great option when trying to stay within budget. The safe bet, as mentioned above, is to have the diamond inspected by the vendor in order to determine eye-cleanliness along with the types of inclusions and how intrusive they are. Large clouds may affect brilliance. Other than that you should feel good about sacrificing a little in clarity in order to get something that sings to your heart more, such as color or size.

 

[Lula]

I've owned a VS2 stone, an SI2 stone, and my current I1 stone. All cut by the same cutter -- Paul Slegers of Crafted by Infinity Diamonds, all super-ideal, top-of-the-line cut quality. All three diamonds had equal sparkle -- and a lot of sparkle! But as others on this thread have mentioned, some inclusions, such as large clouds and/or large feathers, may affect the diamond's appearance and perhaps the diamond's sparkle. The clarity grade contains a wide variety of inclusions, and some people do not like certain types of inclusions but are okay with others. I do not like twinning wisps, but don't care about small feathers; others are the opposite. Some people prefer one larger inclusion that can be hidden under a prong. I prefer a greater number of small, clear inclusions that are dispersed. Some people are uncomfortable going below a certain clarity grade because they don't want to know the inclusions are there, even if they can't see them, or they are worried they may someday see them. Another thing to keep in mind -- the larger the diamond, the more likely you will be able to see the inclusions in some or all lighting conditions. My VS2 was a half-carat; my SI2 and I1 diamonds are 1 carat. So it really is personal preference. One thing for sure, if you are able to be flexible on clarity, you will save quite a bit of money and have more stones to choose from.

ETA: My comments refer to round brilliant cut stones. Fancy shapes, such as emerald cuts and princess cuts, may require you to go higher in clarity to ensure that the diamond is eye clean.

 

[Wink]

My friend Iiro from Finland said it best and I have used his line ever since.

"Quality is a cutting issue. Everything else is a rarity issue."

Price may be hugely influenced by the rarity, but it is the cutting that releases the beauty.

SI will be normally just as beautiful as IF, dependant of course on the cutting. Even many I's will be incredible and MUCH MUCH cheaper.

Wink

 

[swingirl]

I have a beautifully cut I1 that sparkles. I have a VVS1 that sparkles. The main difference is that in certain lighting and at certain angles I can see a large white feather in the I1. In the VVS1 even with a lope I have never been able to find the pinpoint inclusion. My mind doesn't need to know that my VVS1 is more rare, and my pocket book is quite pleased to have a not-so-rare big sparkly I1 (thanks Wink).

Of course, everyone has their tolerance for inclusions and color.