what clarity to aim at if i don't want to see any inclusions

[barbiebien]

He y'all. The journey to find a perfect stone is harder than i thought. I cannot see the diamond in person and i can return it if i have to but i prefer not to. I am looking at stones between .60 and .70 carats and i would like to not be able to see any inclusions even super close with the naked eye (prefer the sides to be clean also but that's less of a concern)

 

[ManhattanSpin]

Re: what clarity to aim at if i don't want to see any inclus

Probably a SI2 if it's well cut or SI1 I would guess for the lowest end.

 

[kenny]

Re: what clarity to aim at if i don't want to see any inclus

Cut is also a factor.
Step cuts like Emerald and Asscher do not conceal inclusions as well as the cuts with more and smaller facets.

eye-cleanness varies even within one clarity grade, so there is no hard fast rule.
But the chance of a stone being eye clean increases with clarity.
A VS2 will almost-certainly be eye clean and an I2 will almost certainly not be eye-clean.
The that chance of a stone will be eye-clean increases as you approach VS2.

Keep in mind people's vision varies and lighting can conceal or emphasize some inclusions so precisely defining eye-cleanness can be a can of worms.
Discuss this with your vendor and get a no–questions-asked-money back guarantee in writing before buying.

All that said, if you want the most-affordable eye-clean diamond your time will be best-spent looking at SI1 and SI2 stones graded by GIA or AGS, since other grading labs have softer standards.

 

[barbiebien]

Re: what clarity to aim at if i don't want to see any inclus

o yes i forgot, i will be buying a round brilliant cut. I don't want it to be eye clean as clean from an arms length but clean from 1 inch. I will be asking my vendor for this but i want to know at what grade may focus should be,

 

[kenny]

Re: what clarity to aim at if i don't want to see any inclus

o yes i forgot, i will be buying a round brilliant cut. I don't want it to be eye clean as clean from an arms length but clean from 1 inch. I will be asking my vendor for this but i want to know at what grade may focus should be,

Again it's not about the grade.
It's about the particular inclusion.

It is possible, but rare, to have a correctly-graded GIA VS2 with an inclusion that is visible to some eagle-eyed young person in certain lighting (especially after seeing the inclusion plotted on the grading report and knowing what to look for and where to look) and it is also possible to have an I1 that is eye clean.

Some inclusions are not visual concerns as much as they are mechanical concerns (yet not visible to the naked eye).

That said, if you DO refuse to spend the time to get educated and insist on a grade that guarantees 100% eye-cleanness every time . . . just stick with GIA or AGS VS1 or above and be done with it.

On the other hand if you want the largest diamond for your budget (or best-cut or least-colored) you should do your homework and expect to spend a good amount of time picking through stacks and stacks of GIA/AGS SI1 and SI2 diamonds.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: what clarity to aim at if i don't want to see any inclus

Kenny's advice is perfect. I'll just add that you should go with a vendor who has stones in house. Like BGD, for example, so that they can pull each stone you are interested in and tell you what they see.

If you want eyeclean from all sides. Say that. If you want eyeclean so that there is no inclusion without at all possibly seen without a loupe say that.

You might be able to find an SI stone that fits your criteria, so don't rule them out. Just know that they are going to be rare. You will likely end up with a Vs2 stone.

If you want quick and easy... pay more and buy a VS1 stone.

 

[Amys Bling]

Well said Kenny.

I'd think VS1 is safe

 

[barbiebien]

Re: what clarity to aim at if i don't want to see any inclus

As is said i can't see the stones in per on unfortunately. And i really like all the vendors here but i don't want to pay import duties and taxes and maybe not be satisfied with the product. I don't know any other seller than Blue Nile that includes the whopping 19% taxes and where you get that back when your return it. Wish i was in the States!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: what clarity to aim at if i don't want to see any inclus

VS1 is the answer to your question! You will find it hard to even see inclusions with a 10x loupe. You can at times see inclusions from the side with VS2. So I highly recommend VS1 for someone who wants a completely eyeclean stone!

 

[kenny]

Re: what clarity to aim at if i don't want to see any inclus

VS1 is the answer to your question! You will find it hard to even see inclusions with a 10x loupe. You can at times see inclusions from the side with VS2. So I highly recommend VS1 for someone who wants a completely eyeclean stone!

I 100% agree . . . but . . . when most folks find out how much larger a painstakingly-selected eye-clean SI1 or SI2 can be they leave all thoughts of that smaller VS1 behind.

Most folks, not all folks.

 

[0-0-0]

Re: what clarity to aim at if i don't want to see any inclus

As others have suggested, VS1 to be absolutely certain, but considering relatively easy returns to Blue Nile I would take a chance with their VS2/SI1 Signature Rounds in that size range.