Clarity is the "C" that grades a
diamonds quality and refers to the presence of surface or internal flaws and inclusions in a diamond which are caused throughout the diamonds growth or cutting process.

A diamond's clarity is determined by the number, size, type and placement of its inclusions. Inclusions include crystals or tiny gaps that represent small minerals caught in the diamond during its growth. Forms of inclusions appear as: pinpoints, needles, knots, chips, cavities, feathers and more. All inclusions add some sort of internal graining and may cause stress on the diamonds chemical structure.

Though all diamonds have some sort of flaw or inclusion, GIA's standard grading system helps determine the extent of these flaws. The less imperfections a stone has, the higher it appears on the clarity grading chart and more valuable the diamond.

• FL (flawless) – No external marks or internal inclusions visible to a trained eye under 10x magnification.
• IF (internally flawless) – Only minor surface blemishes but no internal inclusions visible to a trained eye under 10x magnification.

• VVS1, VVS2 (very very slightly included) – Few, very small inclusions and or finish faults that are difficult for a trained eye to see under 10x magnification. Typical flaws include tiny pinpoints, faint clouds, tiny feathers or internal graining.

• VS1.VS2 (very slightly included) – Very small inclusions and/or finish faults, somewhat difficult for a trained eye to see under 10x magnification. Typical flaws include crystals, feathers, distinct clouds and groupings of pinpoints
• SI1, SI2 (slightly included) – small inclusions and/or surface blemishes easily seen under 10x magnification, but not visible face-up to a naked trained eye. Typical flaws include crystals, clouds and feathers.

• I1 (imperfect 1) – Inclusions and/or finish faults visible under 10x magnification, but hard to see with the naked human eye. Little effect on the brilliancy of a stone.
• I2 (imperfect 2) – More and/or larger inclusions and surface blemishes easily seen without 10x magnification. Some diminished brilliancy within stone.
• I3 (imperfect 3) – Many and/or very large inclusions and surface faults easily seen without 10x magnification.