But the report communicates other important information about some of the more nuanced aspects of the diamond, including to an extent its transparency. In the stone plot, keys to symbols, and comments sections of the report you can often learn indirectly about potential transparency issues. The stone plot on a grading report is meant to help positively identify the diamond and to support the clarity grade.
It is important to understand that not everything going on in the diamond is always included on the stone plot. Especially in the lower clarity grades, there can sometimes be many inclusions and inclusion types. The Keys to Symbols list under the stone plot place the inclusion type in order of its impact on the clarity grade.
Therefore, if a diamond of Si1 clarity has keys that list crystal, feather, and cloud in that order, the cloud inclusion has the least influence over the clarity grade. The Comments field is another area of a grading report where information pertaining to potential transparency issue may be found.
As mentioned, the stone plot will not necessarily show all the inclusions in the diamond. This is a confirmation that not all inclusions in the diamond are presented in the plot.
And if the clarity grade is in the Si or Imperfect range with clouds or twinning wisps as the grade setting inclusion type listed first under Keys , then a comment of additional clouds, twinning wisps or graining is an indication of potential transparency issues. This form of reporting on transparency is not perfect.
But a smart shopper aware of this form of communication can apply extra scrutiny when these flags are present. Where a diamond has many flags, it is highly recommended to have an independent expert evaluate the diamond with special attention to determining if the inclusions present diminish transparency or performance. The effects can be subtle and a trained eye is required to make an accurate assessment.
Clarity Grade Based on Clouds. This is an indication that the cloud or clouds are so large that they would extend across all or most of the stone plot. This is also an indication that there likely is some degree of transparency impact, and needs to be carefully evaluated. Not all Eye-clean diamonds are created equal. Many shoppers look for eye clean Si or Imperfect diamonds, as many bargains may be among this category of diamond. But not all eye-clean diamonds are the same.
Many cases where diamonds are technically eye-clean and seem like a bargain, transparency is a problem. And in many cases a seller looking to make a sale will be the last person to alert you to this issue. Understanding how to read a lab report, and dealing with ethical and knowledgeable vendors is the best way to ensure that you avoid potential problems and get everything out of the diamond that is important to you.
Transparency issues in VS clarities. We have seen that under certain circumstances diamonds in Si and Imperfect clarity grades can have compromised transparency resulting in loss of performance due to transparency deficits. And we have learned that this problem is essentially non-existent in the highest purity diamonds from Fl-VVS2. But what about those diamonds in the value sweet spot of VS1-VS2?
This grade represents a purity defined as having inclusions that are minor and require effort for an experienced grader to see at 10x. So a VS2 diamond is much less likely to have a transparency issue, even with a cloud or twinning wisp grade setting inclusion.
However, clarity grades are small ranges along a continuum, so it is possible for that VS2 to be on the borderline of Si1, a grade category that we have pointed out can contain diamonds with subtle to significant transparency deficits.
So it is still prudent to read the gemological report carefully and to otherwise verify that the diamond does not have any haziness. Similarly, it would be highly unusual for a VS1 to have compromised transparency. However, it is not unheard of. It could possibly be on the borderline of VS2 and have a chance of exhibiting cloudiness, but it is highly unlikely.
Careful vetting by a trusted seller, especially a seller of owned in-stock inventory will almost certainly eliminate this risk.
Spotting transparency issues in images and videos. It is sometimes possible to spot transparency issues in reviewing photos and videos posted online.
However this is not foolproof and requires a frame of reference to compare against. That frame of reference is best provided by companies that image their inventory in an accurate and especially in a consistent way.
Sometimes a hazy stone can be spotted in a face up still photo. A video is even more revealing. However, it very much depends on the light source used. Hard, directional lighting is more likely to illuminate the inclusions making the stone hazy. By comparing a stone suspected of having a transparency issue, with another stone of very high clarity that is imaged in exactly the same way, subtle transparency differences can often be detected. Unfortunately, it is usually not possible to confidently compare different vendors offerings in this way as there is little standardization in photo setups and lighting in the industry.
Cloudiness in a diamond is not necessarily a permanent condition. Perfectly transparent diamonds, can start to look cloudy and lifeless over time. This may simply be a case of the diamonds having developed a film of dirt and grime. This film actually changes the optical properties of the mirrors that make up the facets of the diamond, allowing light rays to leak through them instead of being fully propagated internally and returned to the eye, and leaving them looking foggy and dull.
Because this condition develops slowly, it is sometimes not even noticed. Keeping diamond jewelry clean is easy to do, and basic regular maintenance can keep film from building up to the point that it has to be professionally cleaned. It is recommended that every year or so you take your fine jewelry in for a professional cleaning to restore its full brilliance and luster.
This also allows for proper inspection and discovery of any issues that might need attention, such as prong repair or stone tightening. Dirt build up on the pavilion of a Round Diamond. A diamond with compromised transparency will never be fully brilliant no matter how clean you get it and no matter how precisely it is cut.
But a cloudy diamond that simply needs a good cleaning can easily be restored to full brilliance. For more info please see our page on caring for your diamond jewelry. Precision Cut diamonds and Transparency. Precision cutting of diamonds is practiced by a select number of diamond manufacturers operating from a philosophy of cutting for beauty over weight.
That objective cannot be fully accomplished, even with the finest cutting, if the material itself is compromised in terms of transparency. Many diamond shoppers are starting to take a great interest in diamond cut quality because they do in fact want the most beautiful diamond their money can buy. Some buyers who immerse in cut quality analysis, pouring over angles and percentages on reports and critically analyzing nuances of diagnostic imaging sometimes do so without a full appreciation for the limitations of those evaluations.
It is not uncommon to see a shopper obsessing over a minor defect in a hearts and arrows pattern or a small spot of green on an ASET light map, while seemingly oblivious to the implications of the Si2 grade based on clouds not shown! It is especially important that the shopper looking for optimal cut quality and light performance be cognizant of transparency issues and how to spot them.
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