October 17, 2026

Diamond Clarity Chart: FL to I3, Eye-Clean, and What Actually Matters

By Sasha Tarasova

Filed under Antique Diamonds & Diamond CutsAntique & Vintage Engagement RingsBuying Guides

Short answer: diamond clarity runs on the GIA scale from Flawless (FL) and Internally Flawless (IF) through VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1 and SI2 to Included (I1, I2, I3), judged by a trained grader at 10x magnification. What matters in practice is whether the stone is eye-clean face-up and whether any inclusion threatens durability. For most round and old-cut diamonds, VS2 and many SI1 stones look clean to the eye.

A clarity chart tells you what a grader saw through a loupe. It does not tell you what you will see across a dinner table, and that is where most money is wasted: on grades whose differences are invisible without magnification. It also tells you nothing about where an inclusion sits, which matters more than the letters for both beauty and durability. Here is the full scale, what each inclusion type means, and how to buy clarity sensibly, including in antique stones.

What are the diamond clarity grades?

The GIA clarity scale has 11 grades in six categories, from Flawless to Included. Each grade describes how easily a skilled grader can see inclusions (internal features) and blemishes (surface features) under 10x magnification, not how the stone looks to the naked eye.

Graders weigh five factors to set the grade: the size of the inclusions, their number, their position (one under the table is more visible than one near the girdle), their nature (what kind of feature it is) and their relief (how much they contrast with the surrounding diamond). The single feature that decides the grade is called the grade-setting inclusion. Flawless diamonds are genuinely rare, which is why the top grades carry such a premium.

What do the inclusions on a diamond report mean?

Inclusions are natural features formed as the diamond grew, and their names describe what they look like. On a GIA report with a plot, internal features are drawn in red and surface features in green, with a key listing them in order of importance.

• Crystal. A mineral crystal trapped inside the diamond, sometimes another diamond. Dark crystals stand out; colourless ones often hide.
• Pinpoint. A tiny crystal, usually white, appearing as a dot at 10x. Individually negligible.
• Cloud. A cluster of pinpoints too close to distinguish. Small clouds are harmless; large, dense ones can make a stone look hazy.
• Needle. A long, thin crystal, like a short white or dark line.
• Feather. A small fracture, which can look white and feathery or nearly invisible depending on angle. The inclusion to read most carefully.
• Knot. An included crystal that reaches the surface, sometimes visible as a raised area on a facet.
• Cavity. An opening in the surface, often where a crystal or part of a feather has broken away during polishing.
• Twinning wisp and internal graining. Growth features from irregular crystal growth, often subtle.

A report for a smaller stone may have no plot at all, only a list of key characteristics. Our guide to reading a diamond report for an antique stone walks through every section.

What does eye-clean mean, and which clarity grades are eye-clean?

Eye-clean means you cannot see any inclusion with the naked eye when the diamond is viewed face-up, at a normal viewing distance of roughly 25 to 30 centimetres. It is a trade term, not a lab grade, so no report states it, and two people can disagree about the same stone.

As a working guide, VS2 and better are eye-clean in almost every round brilliant, and many SI1 stones are too. Three things shift the line:

• Size. Inclusions scale with the stone. An SI1 that is invisible at half a carat may show at two carats, because the same grade allows a larger feature in absolute terms.
• Shape and cut. Brilliant-style faceting breaks light into sparkle that hides inclusions. Step cuts such as emerald, Asscher and baguette cuts have long, open facets that act like windows, so most buyers want VS1 or VS2 in a step cut.
• Position. A crystal under the table is far more visible than the same crystal near the girdle, where it may also be hidden by a prong.

The only reliable way to know is to look at the actual stone, or at good, unretouched video of it, face-up and without magnification.

Which inclusions affect a diamond's durability?

Most inclusions are cosmetic only. The ones that matter for durability are feathers that reach the surface, especially near the girdle, at a corner or under a prong, and large cavities or knots that weaken a section of the stone.

Diamond is the hardest natural material, but it is not unbreakable. It has cleavage planes along which a sharp knock at the right angle can split it, and a surface-reaching feather gives that knock somewhere to start. A stone graded I2 or I3 may have features large enough to compromise it. What you should ask:

• Does any feather reach the surface, and where?
• Is it near the girdle, a point or a corner, or will a prong sit over it?
• Has it changed? On an antique stone, compare it with any earlier report or photograph.

A protective setting reduces the risk considerably. A bezel guards the girdle, which is why bezel settings suit stones with edge features, and why a setter should always be told about a feather before tightening claws.

Is SI1 clarity good enough?

Yes, often. In practice SI1 is where many buyers find the best value: the stone is frequently eye-clean, and the price per carat sits well below VS grades of the same size and colour. The catch is that SI1 covers a wide range, so you have to choose the individual stone, not the grade.

The 1.06 ct old mine cut diamond in our 18k yellow gold bezel ring is graded L colour, SI1 clarity, which is typical of the trade-off antique buyers make: money goes into size, cut and character rather than into clarity no one can see. For a step cut or a large stone, move up to VS2; for a smaller brilliant, a well-chosen SI2 can be acceptable. Below that, look at the stone with great care.

Above VS2, you are paying mainly for rarity and for the grade on paper. That is a legitimate choice for some buyers, but it is not visible on the hand.

How is clarity graded on antique diamonds?

Antique diamonds are graded on exactly the same clarity scale as modern ones. Old mine, old European and rose cuts receive FL to I3 grades like any other diamond, but their cutting style changes how inclusions look.

• Larger, fewer facets. Old cuts have broader facets and often a deeper crown, so an inclusion can be more visible than in a modern brilliant of the same grade, and less fragmented by sparkle.
• The open culet. Many old cuts have a culet polished flat, visible face-up as a small circle. It is a cut feature, not an inclusion, and it does not lower the clarity grade.
• Wear. A century or more of wear can leave abraded facet junctions and small chips at the girdle. These are blemishes and can affect the grade, and are sometimes removed by careful repolishing.
• Naturals. Old cutters often left a patch of original crystal skin at the girdle to save weight. Small ones within the girdle may not affect the grade.

The Edwardian 1.50 ct old European cut diamond in an emerald halo we have is graded VS2, a grade at which old-cut faceting looks entirely clean. Our comparison of old European vs old mine cut diamonds explains the cuts themselves, and our old mine cut diamond price guide shows how clarity weighs against size and cut in antique pricing.

What are clarity-enhanced diamonds?

Clarity-enhanced diamonds have been treated to make inclusions less visible. The two common methods are laser drilling and fracture filling, and both must be disclosed by the seller.

• Laser drilling. A laser bores a microscopic channel to a dark inclusion, which is then bleached or dissolved with acid. Some techniques instead create a fine, feather-like path to the inclusion. The result is permanent, and the channel is visible at 10x. Laser-drilled diamonds can receive a clarity grade, with the drill hole noted on the report.
• Fracture filling. A glass-like substance is introduced into surface-reaching feathers to make them less visible. Under magnification it often shows a "flash effect", a flash of colour such as orange or blue as the stone is tilted. The filling is not permanent and can be damaged by a jeweler's torch during repair or by some cleaning. GIA does not issue clarity grades for fracture-filled diamonds.

Treatments are not dishonest in themselves; non-disclosure is. Our guide to common gemstone treatments covers the wider picture, and whether a stone is natural or laboratory-grown is a separate question entirely, set out in our guide to natural vs lab-grown diamonds; lab-grown stones have clarity characteristics too, though report formats for them differ between laboratories.

How should you judge clarity when buying a diamond?

Judge the stone, not the letters. A clarity grade is a starting point; the type, size and position of the inclusions, and how the stone looks face-up, decide whether it is the right one.

1. Decide your minimum by shape and size: SI1 or better for most brilliants and old cuts, VS2 or better for step cuts and large stones.
2. Read the report's key to symbols and note the grade-setting inclusion.
3. Locate it on the plot: under the table, or near the girdle where a prong may hide it?
4. Look for surface-reaching feathers, especially at the girdle or corners.
5. Check for treatment comments such as laser drill holes, and ask directly about fracture filling.
6. View the stone face-up without magnification, in person or on unretouched video.
7. Confirm the report matches the stone by weight, measurements and any laser inscription.
8. Spend saved clarity budget on cut, which affects beauty far more.

If you are unsure whether a stone is a diamond at all, start with our guide on how to tell if a diamond is real.

Questions people actually ask

What is the best clarity for a diamond?

Flawless (FL) is the highest clarity grade, but the best value for most buyers is a stone that is eye-clean, which usually means VS2 or a carefully chosen SI1 for round and old-cut diamonds. Step cuts such as emerald and Asscher cuts show inclusions more easily, so VS1 or VS2 is a safer minimum there. Grades above VS2 differ only under magnification.

What does VS2 mean on a diamond?

VS2 stands for Very Slightly Included, second tier. It means a skilled grader can see minor inclusions at 10x magnification, somewhat easily, but they are almost always invisible to the naked eye. VS2 is a popular grade because it is reliably eye-clean in brilliant-cut and most old-cut diamonds while costing noticeably less than VS1 or VVS grades.

Is SI2 clarity bad?

Not necessarily. SI2 diamonds have inclusions that are very easy to see at 10x, and some are visible to the naked eye, but many smaller round stones in SI2 still look clean face-up. Check each stone individually, avoid large or surface-reaching feathers near the girdle, and avoid SI2 in step cuts, which show inclusions more readily.

What is the difference between VVS and VS clarity?

VVS diamonds have inclusions so small that a skilled grader finds them extremely or very difficult to see at 10x magnification. VS diamonds have minor inclusions that are difficult to somewhat easy to see at 10x. Both are invisible to the naked eye in normal circumstances, so the difference is about rarity and price, not about how the diamond looks when worn.

Can you see a diamond's clarity with the naked eye?

Usually not at the higher grades. Diamonds from FL down to VS2 almost always look identical to the naked eye, and many SI1 stones do too. Inclusions start to become visible in some SI2 stones and in most I1 to I3 stones, particularly in larger diamonds, in step cuts and when the inclusion sits under the central table facet.

Are old cut diamonds graded for clarity differently?

No. Old mine, old European and other antique cuts are graded on the same GIA clarity scale as modern diamonds. Their larger facets can make inclusions slightly easier to see, and age can add wear such as small girdle chips. An open culet, the small flat facet at the base of many old cuts, is a cut feature and does not count as an inclusion.

Do clarity-enhanced diamonds have to be disclosed?

Yes. Laser drilling and fracture filling are treatments, and sellers are expected to disclose them. Laser-drilled diamonds can receive a GIA clarity grade with the drill hole noted, while GIA does not issue clarity grades for fracture-filled diamonds. Filling can be damaged by heat during repairs, so any jeweler working on the ring must be told about it.

Every diamond we list is described by cut, colour and clarity, and you can browse our old cut diamonds with the stones described honestly, inclusions included. If you want a stone found to a specific size and clarity, our sourcing service searches and examines before you commit. More on stones and grading sits in our diamonds archive.