Introduction:
Diamonds come in all shapes and sizes. You will realize it more when you go deeper into the science of diamonds. How seemingly two diamonds that spark the same for you, yet they can differ a lot from each other.
A Diamond’s quality is based on its 4 C’s (Carat, Cut, Clarity, Color). The 4 C’s does greatly affect the brilliance and spark of the diamond.
Let’s have a quick overview of the 4 C’s of the diamonds:
Carat: Weight of the diamond.
Cut: Shape and quality of the diamond. This factor is the most important when it comes to the sparkle and glow of the diamond.
Clarity: The amount and size of inclusions or blemishes in a diamond.
Color: Color of the diamond. The whiter the diamond, the higher grade it will be.
For this article, we will focus on Diamond Clarity and how its different grades can have different characteristics.
Diamond Clarity:
As we discussed above, diamond clarity tells us the amount of the inclusions and flaws in a diamond.
Perfect or Flawless Diamonds with no inclusions are extremely rare. The imperfections in natural diamonds can be due to air bubbles, fractures or internal graining. And they can seriously affect the sparkle of the diamond.
The diamonds graded higher are the ones with no flaws or with tiniest inclusions. The inclusions in them are hard to spot for the unaided eye even through a loupe. Sometimes the experts may also fail at finding the inclusions in such diamonds.
The diamonds in the lower grade indicate the number of inclusions in it. Some of the inclusion can be visible to the naked eye and some may not.
Have a look at this grading scale to help you understand the different clarity grades:
Clarity Grading Scale:
FL & IF: Internally Flawless.
-No inclusions and blemishes are visible at 10× magnification.
VVS1 & VVS2: Very Very Small Inclusions.
-Nearly perfect diamond. Inclusions are extremely difficult (VVS1) and very difficult (VVS2) to see even at 10× magnification.
VS1 & VS2: Very Small Inclusions.
-The inclusions are not visible to the naked eye and can be seen through 10× loupe, but only if you know where to look.
SI1 & SI2: Small Inclusions.
-Inclusions can be seen through magnification but usually are not eye visible.
I1, I2 & I3: Included or Imperfect.
-Inclusions that are visible to the naked eye.
What is a VVS Diamond?
A VVS Diamond is a nearly perfect diamond with tiny inclusions. The inclusions can be hard to notice even under magnification. That is why the VVS diamonds can be called flawless diamonds as they are flawless to the naked eye.
VVS Diamonds are at 2nd highest clarity grade for being nearly perfect. These diamonds can cost you a lot more for the premium they hold.
Difference between VVS1 and VVS2 Diamond Clarity:
The VVS diamonds are split into two categories: VVS1 and VVS2. The numbers indicate the place and size of the inclusions.
VVS1:
The diamonds with inclusions on the Pavilion, or underside of the diamond. The inclusions are not visible even under 10× magnification. Therefore, VVS1 diamonds are slightly pricier than VVS2 diamonds.
VVS2:
The diamonds with inclusions on the crown. Extremely hard to see inclusions even if looking through a magnification. But as the inclusions are closer to the center, it may affect the sparkle of the diamond.
The inclusions in these diamonds are so tiny that an untrained eye may not tell the difference between VVS1 and VVS2 diamonds even if looking with a microscope.
Therefore, the VVS diamonds are priced much higher than VS diamonds. Though both grade diamonds are visibly flawless they differ a lot in value.
Let’s look at the Pros and Cons of VVS Diamonds:
Pros:
- Diamonds are almost flawless. The imperfections can only be seen through high magnification.
- More choices for rare sizes, shapes or colors. If you’re looking for a particular shape, including VVS diamonds in your search will only give more options.
- Best sparkle. These diamonds give the best sparkle as no inclusion comes in their way to stop it from glowing up.
Cons:
- High Price. As the clarity grade improves, price increases. The VVS diamonds are much higher priced than lower grade diamonds.
- No noticeable difference. Although the VS diamonds are graded lower than VVS, you still can’t see their flaws with your naked eye. However, this places both grade diamonds in the same category of eye-flawless. So, you pay a premium for no such noticeable difference!
- The sparkle of a diamond does not completely depend on clarity. The cut of the diamond also affects its brilliance. If you’re buying a VVS diamond with a poor cut, then you are just wasting your money.
- Not good as an investment. Unfortunately, diamond resale value is low in the market. You are unlikely to sell any white diamond more than its original price, even if it is a VVS diamond. Yes, if it is of rare color, you may get some resale value. Otherwise don’t buy a VVS diamond as an investment.
Should you buy a VVS Diamond?
Choosing or not choosing a VVS diamond is purely subjective. If you want to have the prestige of wearing a premium quality stone which is almost perfect, and also if money is not a concern for you, then go for a VVS Diamond.
But if you care about the budget, then it is needless to buy a VVS diamond when you can go for a lower grade eye-flawless diamond, saving you a lot of money.
VVS diamonds look almost similar to lower grade diamonds, and you will pay a huge premium for no such noticeable difference!
Now, when you have weighed the pros and cons of VVS diamonds, you can look where your priorities lie and make an informed decision.
Deciding what kind of stone to buy is an important task as it is a high investment of your life. It is best to do the research first and get a complete idea, then go with your heart and buy it from a reliable jeweler.