How to Evaluate a Diamond for Clarity?

The clarity of a diamond is one of the most important factors in determining the beauty of a stone. Clarity refers to the presence or absence of defects and inclusions, such as carbon deposits, within the diamond. These types of anomalies cause a diamond that has less brightness and can even make parts of the stone look dull and cloudy. There are two types of clarity that you should be concerned with - those that can be seen with the naked eye and those that can not. We will discuss how to evaluate these issues and decide if a given stone is the right diamond for you.

Instructions

1 Examine the view from on high. A diamond should appear bright and bright when viewed from above. Even if there are visible inclusions, the upper surface should not indicate its presence. If the surface has a cloudy appearance or you can see dark spots instead of bright facets when looking down on the top of the stone, the diamond has some serious flaws and should be priced accordingly.

2 Look at the stone on the sides. You may be able to see discolorations or dark spots on the diamond when viewed from the side that did not notice the top. These are a smaller problem than the visible marks from above, but if they are visible to the naked eye, then the diamond is much less valuable than a diamond without important inclusions. You will have to decide if these marks are important to you and also if they are going to be visible on the stone's stage. If not, then you are likely to be able to spend much less money and potentially buy a larger diamond than if you need a gem with no visible defects at all.

3 Examine the stone under jewelers magnifying glasses . If you are working with a jeweler, ask them to sketch the inclusions that you see on your diamond. Inclusions that are invisible to the naked eye are often good identifying marks of stones, and some diamond cutters even deliberately leave a slight notch or rough edge in a facet to help an owner distinguish between his stone and an alternate.

4 Look at the stone in its chosen configuration. This will help determine how the inclusions in the diamond will actually affect the appearance of the piece of jewelry. In particular, if a bevel setting has been chosen, through a jewelers loupe you can find that a skillfully cut diamond can contain several large inclusions and you will be the only one who never knows.

5 Take the diamond to an independent appraiser. This is the best way to determine what diamond clarity really is worth. If necessary, you may have to work with the appraiser and the seller to transport the stone safely from one place to another. Do not let the stone out of your sight, even if you have not bought it yet because if it is exchanged for a stone of lesser value, the seller is likely to still hold you responsible.

Tips and warnings

Each diamond is unique, but few people are aware of it and unscrupulous jewelers have been known to change the ring stones while attempting to clean, examine or instruct them. Unless you know and trust your jeweler, you are not allowed to leave your sight with your diamond ring or other trendy jewelry.