Diamond Clarity Chart Explained for Lab Grown Diamonds

Lab Grown Diamonds Explained

Laboratory-made diamonds are genuine gemstones. Not fake versions. Never replacements. Each one is built from carbon, arranged just like earth-mined stones – same toughness, sparkle, clarity. Origin sets them apart. While natural ones take eons below ground, these form above it under precise conditions. Once shaped, they reflect light identically. When examined closely or set into jewelry, responses match perfectly. A single sparkle tells no tale of origin – lab made or earth pulled, they shine just the same. Yet beneath that gleam, clarity dances differently when paired with shade and cost.

Lab Grown Diamonds How They Are Made

Farming can happen in different ways. One path takes root indoors, another out in open fields.

High Pressure High Temperature

Under high heat and heavy squeeze, carbon begins to change shape. Little by little, it turns into crystal form – just like underground processes do. Growth takes time, sometimes dragging on much longer than expected. Stones that come from this way frequently hold tiny bits of metal inside.

Chemical Vapor Deposition

From carbon gas, lab grown diamonds form one layer at a time here. Clarity and shape can be shaped with greater precision. High purity lab diamonds usually stem from this technique. Real diamonds result from either approach. The exact same grading rules apply as for those pulled from the earth.

Clarity Means More Than People Realize

Not everything you see under a lens shows when you wear it. Tiny marks inside show up as flaws, while surface nicks count too. Light changes path when it hits these spots. Lab created gems usually score high on reports – often VS or above. But sharper grades do not always mean brighter sparkle in real life. Finding your way through diamond clarity gets clearer with a chart. Because it shows what differences actually show up to the eye versus ones that don’t appear at all.

What Diamond Clarity Means

A stone’s purity gets sorted on a scale that begins at perfect. Starting clean, it moves step by step into more visible imperfections. Each level shows what the eye might catch under magnification. From untouched gems down to those with noticeable traits inside. This lineup follows how experts group them by internal features. The journey goes from pure transparency to marks trapped within. What you see depends on where it lands along this path.

• Under a loupe, FL shows nothing trapped inside. Still, IF stays clear too when checked closely. Not one speck stands out in either case. Even with power, eyes catch no flaws at all. What you see is pure transparency, nothing more
• VVS1 and VVS2 with very very small inclusions
• Faint specks live inside VS1, hiding unless you hunt them down. Tiny flaws appear in VS2, just shy of clear to the sharp eye
• Some tiny flaws appear inside SI1 plus SI2 – just noticeable under close look. These markings hide within the structure, seen only when inspected. A slight hint of cloudiness might show, yet still clear overall. Inclusion size stays minor throughout both grades. Visibility depends on angle and lighting during examination
• A clear line runs from I1 through I3, holding certain pieces without question. What fits inside shows straight away. Nothing hidden, nothing stretched – just what belongs, placed where it should be

Most lab created diamonds sit right around VVS to VS on the scale. A hidden cost shows up here. Paying extra for clear-looking stones might not improve how they appear at all.

Clarity Grades Seen in Everyday Context

Look at a diamond like you would anything else – up close, but not through a lens. From an arm’s distance, clarity marks fade. Take two round stones, each one carat. One earns a VVS2 grade. The other, VS1. Neither shows color. Each reflects light cleanly. Distance hides what tools reveal. What the eye catches stays the same. Even now, prices might differ quite a bit. That’s the reason seeing the diamond clarity chart not as a ladder but as a guide really matters.

Lab Growth Impact on Clarity Patterns

From time to time, lab made diamonds carry flaws unlike those found in earth mined stones. Growth lines or tiny clusters of dots show up more often inside synthetic gems. Light passes through these marks easier compared to solid mineral bits trapped in natural ones. So a man made stone graded VS2 might look clearer than its mined twin with the same rating. A single look at a diamond’s clarity rating won’t reveal its flaws. That scale just gives a letter – nothing more. Hidden beneath each grade are details you can’t see. What lies inside might surprise you.

Selecting Diamond Clarity Within Your Budget

Focus on clarity above all else. Paper perfection isn’t the target here. Most lab created stones follow this path instead. Still, visual appeal matters more than specs alone.

• A soft curve feels sharp when clarity hits VS2 or better. Smooth edges show their true self only beyond that point. Clarity lifts the veil just there. Without it, even circles seem off. Precision changes how roundness reads completely
• Odd forms often require VS1 because of exposed angles
• VVS grades rarely add visible value
• SI grades require careful inspection

Focusing on close-up shots helps spot details. After getting those visuals, check where flaws are positioned – especially beneath the surface or toward the sides.

Clarity Over Cut and Color

Bright stones start with precision. Not just purity, but shape matters more than most think. Whiteness shifts when tint changes under light. Spending limited? Begin by focusing on symmetry of facets. After that, consider hue choice carefully. Clarity matters most when it’s time to decide. Even so, a sharp VS2 lab diamond can shine brighter than a sloppy VVS one. Sometimes how light moves inside beats what the report says. The way each angle catches rays plays bigger role. Precision cuts reveal hidden fire even if purity seems lower. Flawless grades mean little without smart geometry. Light dances best where craftsmanship leads. So shape and polish shift everything. Hidden brilliance lives in proportions, not just labels. That final sparkle? It listens more to symmetry than scale.

Certification And Clarity Grading

Start with a stone only if it has a certificate from an established lab. When it comes to lab created diamonds, IGI works just like GIA. Their way of rating clearness matches exactly. Look closely – each document must say “lab grown” without hiding it. Check the diagram showing flaws every single time. Clarity isn’t guesswork when the map’s right there. What you see tells where things sit, plus what kind they are. Grade by itself? Not nearly as telling.

Lab Grown Diamond Purchase Errors People Make

Most people go after top clarity grades since the cost seems tiny next to natural diamonds. That extra spend brings zero visible improvement. A common error? Thinking every VS diamond looks flawless up close. Not true. Some show flaws when you check closely. Start by checking the clarity scale. After that, trust what your eyes see and get advice from someone who knows. Visual proof matters more than numbers alone.

Diamond Clarity Chart as a Guide

A single look might make the chart seem like a ranking, but it serves a different role entirely. Instead of tracking scores, think of it as a tool to screen out options below your standard. Once those are set aside, attention shifts toward levels where quality meets reason. With lab created stones, clarity between VS1 and VS2 tends to strike that balance. Clarity arrives not from memorizing details, but seeing how they apply. Suddenly, what felt tangled becomes clear.

Long Term Value and Wear

When flaws stretch wide or break the surface, how clear a diamond is matters less for lasting strength. Lab-grown stones rated VS or VVS rarely face threats to their sturdiness. How well they hold up each day ties closer to mountings and handling instead of purity labels. A cleaner stone doesn’t automatically survive longer. Life span? It’s shaped by more than internal marks.

FAQs

Could a clearer lab made stone actually be worse? Sometimes.

Finding a stone that looks clean to the eye usually makes more sense. Often, extra clarity brings higher prices but no visible upgrade. Skipping the top grades saves money while keeping beauty.

Can you see inclusions in a VS lab grown diamond?

Most of the time it does not matter. Round styles tend to hide flaws well. Other forms, though, can make imperfections stand out a bit more.

Should you rely only on a diamond clarity chart?

Wait. Relying on just one piece won’t give the full picture. Bring photos into play, maybe some footage too. Toss the evaluation summary in there as well. Only then does it come together clearly.