Out of all 4C’s of diamonds, Colour, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight, both the Colour and the Clarity characteristics of a diamond are controlled by Mother Nature. The remaining two “Cs”, namely the Cut and the Carat Weight, on the other hand, are controlled by men.

Similar to its Colour, the Clarity of a diamond is also a significant factor affecting its value. To understand a diamond’s clarity, let us first understand what exactly we mean when we refer to the term “Clarity”. Natural diamonds are formed when carbon molecules undergo extreme temperature and pressure hundreds of kilometres underneath the surface of the earth. The chances of forming a perfect crystal under natural uncontrolled environment, which requires stable growth condition for a long period of time, are extremely rare. Therefore, flawless diamonds are very rare to form and very expensive to buy. Majority of the diamonds carry one or more flaws in the form of other elements or even carbon impurities present in the crystal structure.

When we talk of Diamond Clarity, we refer to the Inclusions or Blemishes present in a diamond.
a. Inclusions – Any flaw that is found underneath the surface of the diamond
b. Blemishes – Any irregularities or scratches present on the surface of the diamond

Inclusions are always natural – air bubbles, cracks, other materials, microscopic dust particles, and the like. Blemishes, on the other hand, can be natural or man-made. Blemishes might be a scratch on the surface, a minor chip, or anything else that mars the surface. Just like the diamond colour, the lesser or insignificant the inclusion, the higher the price of the diamond.

Interesting Trivia: The world’s largest gem-quality cut diamond is a D colour, internally flawless diamond – the Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa diamond, which now adorns the Royal Scepter in the Crown Jewels of the British Empire.

The diamond clarity is defined based on the number, size, colour, location, orientation and ultimately the visibility of inclusions present in the diamond.

a. Flawless or F: The rarest of rare diamonds, these super shiners are absolutely, heavenly perfect. There is not a single flaw on the stone, inside or outside.

b. Internally Flawless or IF: Rare, but not as rare as flawless pieces, these beauties are completely flaw-free on the inside. These might have extremely minuscule surface blemishes. However, their rarity ensures that demand and price for these shiners always stay at a peak.

c. Very Very Slightly Included or VVS1 and VVS2: Another highly in demand but not so easy to find gem-quality stones, VVS1 and VVS2 graded diamonds have extremely minuscule inclusions on the inside. Even under standard 10x magnification, only trained gemmologists would be able to detect these inclusions. Quite steeply priced stones, but nowhere in comparison to the first two.

d. Very Slightly Included or VS1 and VS2: Perhaps the most regularly demanded diamonds; VS1 and VS2 grade stones find maximum use in high quality fine jewellery. Diamonds in these grades fetch good prices as they only have very minute inclusions that are quite hard to detect under standard magnification.

e. Slightly Included or SI1 and SI2: The inclusions in this particular grade of diamonds are comparatively larger and may be visible to the naked eye. A vast majority of the diamonds mined would fall into this range and therefore these stones are available at highly competitive price ranges.

f. Included or I1, I2 and I3: The lowest rung in the diamond clarity grading ladder, I1, I2 and I3 diamonds have flaws that are clearly visible even to untrained, laymen eyes. These diamonds are normally used only in the lowest grade jewellery; some of them are also used for industrial purposes.

Hard Fact: 10 X magnifications is the standard magnification used for grading a diamond’s clarity. If inclusions or blemishes present in a diamond cannot be identified under 10 X magnification by a trained gemmologist, they do not count towards deciding the clarity grade of a diamond.

While the exact origin of jewellery is yet to be traced, archaeological finds suggest that humans started wearing adornments much before they started clothing themselves. Almost every ancient civilization that has been discovered so far has had some or the other form jewellery  that has been unique to them. As humans have evolved and developed, so have their jewellery pieces as well as methods and styles of wearing their jewellery.

Interesting Trivia: The forms and types of jewellery have evolved and grown over the thousands of years. Yet, some of the earliest forms of jewellery – shells strung on tree bark rope or twine are still around and popular today as fashion and beach jewellery.

While the earliest forms of jewellery were nothing more than stones, sea-shells or animal bones strung together on plant twine, jewellery from then until now, has been a mark of status, stature and wealth in every culture. It is believed that jewellery was first worn nearly 100,000 years ago. Simple necklaces or charms made of sea-shells strung on bark rope or twine have been found buried with the remains of people from long lost civilizations. These finds have also been a proof that man’s love for jewellery started long before he understood the importance of wearing clothes.

As mankind progressed and civilizations moved inland from the sea coasts, minerals and metals were found. This also led to major changes in the kind and manner in which jewellery adorned the bodies of humans. The range of different ornaments being worn also increased. As men learnt how to work with metal, the simple trinkets and charms made of shells were replaced by varied adornments such as rings, necklaces, earrings, nose rings, bracelets, and other jewellery.

The use of jewellery also went through many changes. In some cultures, it became a form of currency, in others, an expression for artistic talents. When religion was found, specific ornaments became a symbol for certain religions.

The Birth of Modern Jewellery

Egypt and India are both credited with giving birth to modern jewellery. However, the art of metal working was first developed in Egypt. It was also the Egyptians that realized the value of gold, silver and other precious stones and started storing them as a form of wealth. Almost every Egyptian pharaoh that was buried had huge treasure hoards buried with him in the pyramid. Similarly, there have been innumerable stories of unspeakable treasures in the form of gold, silver and other ornaments being found from ancient Indian forts, temples, and palaces.

Once diamonds were discovered around 3000 years ago in India, these shiny rocks soon became major adornments for the wealthy. Over the course of time, the art and styles of jewellery kept undergoing changes. More and more types of jewellery items such as headgears in the form of crowns, bands and bracelets for the upper arms, as well as waist bands, and many other articles were introduced. After the Egyptians, it was the Romans and Greeks that took the jewellery tradition forward by bringing in further intricacy into their ornaments. Both these cultures utilized jewellery as an important form of trade and business.

Then of course came the period when the true value of gemstones, including diamonds, was recognized, and precious jewellery took a permanent turn for the better. Studded diamonds and gem stones jewellery pieces in gold, silver and platinum were created, and are very much in demand and use even today.