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Diamonds are created in the earth's mantle, about 160 kilometers below the surface of the earth where intense pressure and high temperatures change the molecular structure of carbon, forcing its molecules to acquire the crystal structure of the diamond.
Diamond clarity is one of the four elements (4 C's along with Color, Carats, and Cut) that affect its value and refers to the existence of foreign elements, ie adhesions inside it, but also defects on its surface.
The accusations or inner features of the diamond are small amounts of foreign material trapped inside the diamond body when it is created. The foreign material can be a solid body, a quantity of liquid or gas bubbles, and in some cases the creation of accents from specific materials can give the diamond identity, helping special geologists to determine its origin.
It is very rare for a diamond to be 100% pure, so there are no foreign elements inside it, and for this reason, diamonds made up of pure carbon only are sought after and very expensive.
On the other hand, the outer bruises of the diamond are caused by its rise from the mantle to the surface of the earth due to its contact with other materials and may be small or larger cracks or knocks.
A skilled craftsman can, during the cutting and polishing process of the diamond, remove some of the splinters or make use of the accents to give a character to the stone. To use the defects of the diamond to influence the way the light passes through the stone and is reflected by it.
Of the total natural diamonds that surface only about 20% is of good quality for use in jewellery, the remaining 80% ends up for industrial use. From the original 20%, much of the diamond has adhesions and defects that are visible to the naked eye at a distance of about 15 cm. Sometimes these visible accents can be hidden by the bonding of the jewellery.
For diamonds that have no defects visible to the naked eye, their evaluation is evaluated by experienced assessors at a magnification of 10x and their ranking based on their purity. Evaluators in the diamond evaluation process take into account their size, number, location, nature (if internal or external defect) and the color of the defect.
According to the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), diamonds are classified into six categories based on their purity.
FL (Flawless): There are no visible inclusions or external flaws at 10x magnification.
IF (Internally Flawless): No visible inclusions at 10x magnification.
VVS1 and VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included): Minute inclusions so faint that experienced graders find it difficult to see them at a magnification of 10x.
VS1 and VS2 (Very Slightly Included): Small inclusions that are difficult to see at 10x magnification.
SI1 and SI2 (Slightly Included): Inclusions that are noticeable at 10x magnification.
I1, I2, and I3 (Included): Inclusions are obvious at 10x magnification and can affect the transparency and brilliance of the diamond.
Flawless diamonds are so rare (about 2% of world production) that are considered of museum class. About 10% of world production belongs to VVS2 category and above, while 50% of the diamonds used in jewellery are VS1 and VS2 category.
The evaluation of the diamond and its final classification on the scale reveals its rarity and affects its final value, so it is very important that the grader is an experienced gemologist.