The importance of clarity when viewing engagement rings in London
13/10/2016The importance of clarity when viewing engagement rings in London
Whether you are looking in London’s Hatton Garden or New York’s Fifth Avenue, one thing is for sure - a diamond must be white, free from visible inclusions and sparkle brilliantly. As you begin your hunt for engagement rings in London, the Carat weight, Colour, Clarity and Cut (referred to as the 4C’s) will become integral to your search in more ways than one. But what does Clarity mean in relation to a diamond and why is it so important?
Clarity refers to a diamond’s degree of flawlessness. Naturally formed through extreme heat and pressure deep in the earth, traces of non-crystallised carbon or non-diamond crystals will result in the presence of inclusions and blemishes. These characteristics can take many different visual forms which is why each and every diamond is unique. The fewer and smaller the inclusions are, the rarer the stone will be, therefore increasing its value.
Think of a glass coffee table that has a tiny speck of dust positioned close to one of its corners. From afar, you’d struggle to see the speck, in fact you’d probably go through everyday life without even noticing it was there. But now imagine that same glass coffee table with a cluster of larger black specks in its centre, like soot from a fireplace – it would be noticeable and unsightly, especially on closer inspection. Though inclusions and blemishes in diamonds are very common, their occurrence, position and size (along with many others factors) will impact the desirability of the stone.
The clarity of diamond engagement rings in London will be graded based on the following scale:
Flawless – Loupe Clean
Internally Flawless – Internally flawless with minor surface blemishes
VVS1-VVS2 – Very, very small inclusions
VS1-VS2 – Very small inclusions
SI1-SI2 – Small inclusions
I1-I2-I3 – Inclusions visible to naked eye
Flawless denotes the highest clarity that one can find, and Imperfect (I1-I2-I3) signifies the lowest clarity.
But let’s not forget that viewing engagement rings in London is above all else a personal experience. Though Hatton Gardens jewellers will happily answer any questions that you may have, it is for you and your partner to establish the standard of clarity that you feel most comfortable with, which may involve playing around with the Carat weight, Colour and Cut to remain within your budget. Examine the accompanying GIA certificate to establish the Clarity grading and then most importantly, inspect the diamond with a loupe (eye glass). This will allow you to locate the inclusions and blemishes, and assess their characteristics.
If you have any queries about the beautiful engagement rings in our London showroom, call Rennie & Co on 020 7405 4585. Alternatively, you can reach us by email at diamonds@rennieco.com.
