In this blog post, we'll be diving deep into what each diamond clarity means. This includes what they will look like and if they will or will not hit on testers (as well as what testers they will or will not hit on). The diamond clarity spectrum ranges from CZ (cubic zirconia) to Flawless diamonds. Let's start with CZ.
CUBIC ZIRCONIA (CZ):
CZ (or cubic zirconia) are often classified as "fake" diamonds. CZ diamonds are synthetic, meaning that they have been lab-created, mostly manufactured in China or cheap wholesale distributions such as "DHGATE" or "ALIBHABA," many times from a mixture of glass or plastic, to give the diamond look. Much of today's jewelry is created with CZ stones as demand is sky-high and natural diamond supply grows smaller, in addition to COVID-19 putting holds on diamond cutting & mining. CZ is also a much cheaper option, so your diamonds will still look good at a much cheaper price. However, at Johnny's Ice and Co. we limit the amount of CZ products that we keep in our store, and prefer to go with a SI diamonds instead, which we will discuss next.
LAB VS / MOISSANITE:
MOSS (or LAB VS) clarity is its own gemstone similar to Lab Grown Diamonds. These Gemstones are created for budget friendly consumers that seek image as the main goal of jewelry. Moss is used in plenty of jewelry made today. Moss is also considered a Lab option due to the Laboratory origin these stones are made from, similar to the production of Lab Grown Diamonds. Exquisite for its unique shine and brilliance this gemstone is a diamond alternative similar to Lab Grown Diamonds with different chemical compositions. These do test green (positive) on (black DIA testers). These will not test positive on natural diamond testers. LAB VS1 and LAB VS are both similar in pricing point ranges.
LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS VS1* Lab-Grown Diamonds are high carbon compressed diamonds made in a laboratory environment. Composed from original natural diamond seeds, Lab-Grown Diamonds is another alternative to natural grown diamonds. Due to high demand these stones have been on the rise in market trends. Lab-Grown Diamonds come in VS1 and VVS1 Clarities and DO NOT test as a natural diamond. Lab Grown Diamonds test Green or (Positive) on (BLK DIA) testers and are usually chemically enhanced to give the diamonds more of a VVS1 Natural diamond shine. Max Shine meant for image purposes, do not buy these diamonds if you are seeking investment value. Seek Natural diamonds for Value return.
I1 / I2 NATURAL DIAMONDS:
Starting off the natural diamonds with the lowest grade, I clarity diamonds are usually cut in much smaller sizes and don't shine as well as a SI1 or SI2 diamond. I clarity diamonds stand for included, meaning the black inclusions in the diamonds are very prominent. As we go through the diamond clarities these inclusions will become less and less. I clarity diamonds have a slightly cloudy appearance, and are usually used in smaller projects like earrings, small pendants, and rings. With that being said, I clarity diamonds still have value in the sense that they are natural diamonds, and are priced higher than Simulated diamonds.
SI1 / SI2 NATURAL DIAMONDS:
SI1 and SI2 diamonds are sub-grades of Slightly Included Diamonds. SI1, being the higher-graded option, shine better, have higher value, and have a positive difference as it pertains to inclusions as opposed to SI2 diamonds. These diamonds are Earth-mined, and are commonly used in our GRILLZ and some custom pendant projects. All diamond testers will test these diamonds as positive, since they are pure and earth-mined. These diamonds are used by distributions across the globe and are very popular amongst the jewelry community.
VS1 / VS2 NATURAL DIAMONDS:
VS clarity diamonds are our most popular choice. Standing for Very Slightly (in terms of inclusions) they shine harder than SI1, and overall just look like a much more clear diamond. VS1 and VS2 diamonds are very popular in terms of OUR custom jewelry production, and is always what we recommend. These diamonds always hit on all testers, earth-mined or regular Walmart testers.
VVS1 NATURAL DIAMONDS:
Very Very Slightly (in terms of inclusions), these diamonds are almost as perfect as they come. Everyone wants VVS: it's the trendy thing nowadays. One major thing to keep in mind is that with the quality of these diamonds, price has to be factored in. By no means are these diamonds cheap, but you pay for the pure quality of these diamonds. With almost no inclusions, these diamonds hit and shine different. Just like with SI1/SI2 and VS1/VS2 these diamonds hit on all testers, and are most prominent in urban cities and high-spending areas.
NATURAL FLAWLESS:
Flawless diamonds have no visible inclusions. Not to the naked eye, and not at 10x magnification. Obviously, just like the sub-graded clarities before this, these diamonds test positive on all testers. This is one of the RAREST type of diamond clarities you can find. Whilst all diamonds have some form of inclusion due to extreme conditions during formation, with flawless diamonds you would need 60X magnification or even 100X magnification to see them. With that in mind, these diamonds are far-and-away the most expensive.