VS1 - SI2: Clarity grade based primarily on clouding?

[garmin]

Perhaps I''m missing something extremely obvious, but I have yet to figure out how to determine if a diamond''s clarity grade is based on clouding as the main factor.

Obviously, I''m keen on the concept of noting what is stated in the "Comments" section of an AGS or GIA report, but it''s my understanding most of the time if clouding is noted there, it''s not much of an issue to overall clarity. Correct?

Unfortunately, the report scans uploaded from most of the online retailers are not high enough resolution as to view the plot graphing in much detail. Is this where it is indicated? In plotting far to fine to ever be seen in a simple paper scan image?

I''m sure the answer is very basic, but at the moment I feel exposed as an online buyer without firm info on the above. Enough knowledge to make an educated decision. Not enough to weed out unwanted outliers that may seem desirable at first glance.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, I can''t answer your question other than to say that you have zero concerns with a VS1 and very little with VS2. You get into territory where you need to see the stone with SI, as far as I am concerned (because I am picky about clarity). It helps when you buy from a vendor with the stones in-house such as Good Old Gold who does light performance testing on their stones and can also tell you about the eye-clean status of the stone.

 

[stone-cold11]

In the clarity plot, the first listed inclusions are the most significant, and so on.

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 4/6/2009 6:12:10 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Well, I can''t answer your question other than to say that you have zero concerns with a VS1 and very little with VS2. You get into territory where you need to see the stone with SI, as far as I am concerned (because I am picky about clarity). It helps when you buy from a vendor with the stones in-house such as Good Old Gold who does light performance testing on their stones and can also tell you about the eye-clean status of the stone.

Ditto

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 4/6/2009 5:20:51 PM
Author:garmin
Perhaps I''m missing something extremely obvious, but I have yet to figure out how to determine if a diamond''s clarity grade is based on clouding as the main factor.

I think in those cases where clouds are the grade setter, that''s what the grading certificate actually says: the clarity grade is based on the clouding, etc. (or something close).

But I''m also sympathetic to the hand waving with SI stones, i.e., if you can''t otherwise identify the grade setting inclusions, i.e., if only clouds seem to be what would account for the diamond not otherwise being a VS...be careful.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/6/2009 8:02:51 PM
Author: Regular Guy

Date: 4/6/2009 5:20:51 PM
Author:garmin
Perhaps I'm missing something extremely obvious, but I have yet to figure out how to determine if a diamond's clarity grade is based on clouding as the main factor.

I think in those cases where clouds are the grade setter, that's what the grading certificate actually says: the clarity grade is based on the clouding, etc. (or something close).

But I'm also sympathetic to the hand waving with SI stones, i.e., if you can't otherwise identify the grade setting inclusions, i.e., if only clouds seem to be what would account for the diamond not otherwise being a VS...be careful.

Yes indeed, VS and above should be no problem, clouds which are marked on the clarity plot as grade setters could be a problem in SI grades so a trusted vendor is essential to evaluate these. Clouds not shown in the comments section of a report however are usually not an issue.

 

[Imdanny]

Date: 4/6/2009 5:20:51 PM
Author:garmin

I'm sure the answer is very basic, but at the moment I feel exposed as an online buyer without firm info on the above. Enough knowledge to make an educated decision. Not enough to weed out unwanted outliers that may seem desirable at first glance.

Well, the type and the severity of each flaw (e.g. a cloud) are taken into account in the AGS or GIA clarity grading. In other words, if, overall, the clarity grade received is VS2, that's because there was no flaw of any kind that was determinative of a lower grade. That doesn't answer your question, exactly, but there aren't any outliers in a grading system.

 

[garmin]

Thanks so much for the input, all!

And yes, after reading the responses here, it seems my knowledge void was very simple. You see, since the clarity plot has a key at the bottom of it, I had never thought to think that the key was specific to each diamond. I just thought it was a generic key. Obviously, it turns out that the key is not only specific, but ordered by magnitude. You might wonder why I haven''t noticed this for myself yet, and that''s because I don''t look at the clarity plot (or it''s key) since in virtually all lab report scans the plot detail is mostly worthless due to lack of resolution.

So basically, if I find myself most often looking at SI diamonds, I need to avoid stones of that clarity grade when the first inclusion listed in the plot key is clouds? Correct?