Small diamonds and clarity

[eapj]

I’m casually looking at a few preloved diamond eternity bands. I searched the forums for an answer but didn’t find exactly what I was looking for. If quality of cut is unknown, will clarity of VS1/2 v. SI1 make a difference in 2mm stones? Curious about what the experts here think for the typical consumer who isn’t looking for “the best” but doesn’t want poor quality, either.

 

[Karl_K]

It can, it really depends on the stones themselves.
Some that are sold as SI1 are a mess some are ok.
Mainly because they are generally sorted as si or vs or sometimes a 3 grade range so just si1 grading on melee can be a bit of a stretch.
There is a lot of variation in SI lots as they are self graded and not lab graded.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Small stones are 'dealer or retailer graded'.
So the grades depend on the vendors opinion of the value of their reputation.

With higher clarity the grade is based on the size of the inclusion. VVS1 in 10ct is the same sized inclusion as in a 0.01ct diamond.
I3 grades can mean half the diamond is inclusions. half a one point diamond or half a 10ct diamond.
Where you are playing means that at most 2 or 3% of the diamond is included and you can not see that with a naked eye.
More important is the stone is not 10X flawles but cloudy milky hazy

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

From my research (I am not a professional), ungraded cuts for small diamonds average around a "very good" sometimes "excellent" cut. You should be fine with VS clarity and likely even SI. I've found that many small diamonds (like on an eternity band) have a lot of sparkle. There also seems to be a correlation between price and cut/specs - the more expensive the ring for the same carat, the better the cut/specs.

 

[headlight]

You really need to see them in person. I’ve seen dark, lifeless, duds... but I’ve also had bright, lively stones.
Also important when considering a ring with many stones all in a row is that they appear to have similar table sizes (you don’t need to know the actual percentage... you just need to make sure that the table reflections are well matched.

 

[eapj]

Thank you for all of this wisdom!

 

[Rockdiamond]

In general- melee is sorted into broader groups than larger stones.
For example- cutters we deal with put IF-VS1 in a grouping- VS2-SI2 is a step down.
Remember, in a .02mm diamond, you won;t be able to detect a tiny SI2 sized crystal with the naked eye.
As Garry pointed out, cloudiness is a killer.
And as @headlight pointed out- consistency of make is also important.
That's generally gotten easier as virtually all the small stones are cut by computer, so the makes from a given cutter are usually so very close in terms of table size, etc.