Step 4: Clarity Grading

All of our experts are trained to grade to GIA standards. The GIA is one of the most trusted diamond grading laboratories in the jewelry industry, and their standards are internationally recognized. Most of the diamonds we buy are sent to the GIA for certification before we sell them. It is very important that our graders are trained to the highest standards, enabling them to accurately assess your diamond and therefore allowing us to purchase it for the very best price possible.

When assessing the clarity of a diamond, the grader is actually looking for inclusions (or blemishes) either on the surface of the diamond or within the diamond itself. Inclusions are particles that have been trapped within the diamond as it was forming in the earth millions of years ago. Each diamond and its inclusions are as unique as a fingerprint, and the inclusion proves that the diamond is natural and not man made. Clarity grading is carried out using a loupe with 10x magnification. The grader will assess the diamond through as many different facets as possible, making sure they have seen all the inclusions within the stone and identifying any blemishes on the surface of the stone.

There are many different types of diamond inclusion, and if you have the diamond certified, they are normally identified on a diagram on the certificate so that an evaluator can clearly see where the inclusions are to be found on the diamond. They range from pin points and needle like inclusions through to other minerals within the diamond such as a Garnet, sometimes you even find a diamond crystal within the diamond. Having carefully evaluated the diamond using their extensive diamond grading knowledge, our graders will then allocate one of the GIAs 11 clarity grades to the diamond.