CHAPTER 5
Almost all diamonds contain very tiny natural birthmarks known as inclusions. To determine a diamond’s clarity an expert examines it under powerful magnification.
The fewer inclusions, the rarer and more valuable the diamond becomes. All of these natural characteristics are documented in the diamond’s laboratory certificate which creates an easily identifiable fingerprint of that particular stone.
Most inclusions are not visible to the naked eye. A laboratory-certified-clarity rating of SI2 represents the point at which inclusions are technically not visible to the naked eye. Clarity is graded, using a very precise and complex method of evaluating the size, type, location, and visibility of each of a stone’s imperfections.