Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
September 9, 2010
In the context of diamond clarity I understand that 'inclusions' and 'blemishes' are both considered imperfections that reduce a diamond's clarity grade and value. I would lie to know what is the exact difference between these two terms and how does each, in fact, affect a diamond's clarity grade?
September 13, 2010
In short, inclusions are internal clarity imperfections while blemished are external imperfections. Both do affect a diamond's price, but overall I would say that inclusions play a more important role in determining a diamond's clarity grade.
Blemishes are considered less avoidable than diamond inclusions. Every tiny scratch on the surface of a diamond is a blemish, thus a diamond with no blemishes whatsoever is extremely rare. The difference between an 'FL' (flawless) diamond and an 'IF' (internally flawless) stone represents blemishes. Some blemished are very distinct and unattractive, but the most common diamond blemishes are small scratches that are often created when a diamond is polished or after. It is true that the diamond industry always attempts to polish rarest and most perfect stone, but it still commonly understood that obtaining a diamond with not a single blemish is rather unreasonable. Therefore, an IF clarity graded diamond is regarded as almost perfect clarity-wise. Surely nobody would object obtaining an FL diamond, but that's not the main target when selecting a diamond.
The most common blemish, or external imperfection, on a diamond is called 'natural', and is basically a small area on the diamond's surface which hasn't been perfectly polished. 'Nicks' and 'pits' are names for other blemishes, which are less common but have a bigger effect on a diamond's clarity grade, since they are holes (pits) or simply regions where the diamond's surface is missing (nicks).
Blemished can appear only as small imperfections on the diamond's surface, or can accompany additional inclusions which exist beneath the surface. Generally speaking, since inclusions are created within the diamond, and sometimes have been formed thousands of years ago, they are considered a more essential part of the diamond than blemishes. Therefore inclusions are considered to express a diamond's natural clarity, while blemishes are usually created more artificially and often can be fixed by an additional polish.
In most cases, every diamond which is bellow IF clarity grade has inclusions and not only blemishes. I don't remember ever encountering a diamond that had inclusions without having any slight blemish.
