In most simple words, the term ‘clarity’ refers to the extent to which the imperfections are present in the diamond that may be either on the surface or internally. With the hope of purchasing a diamond with better visual appearance, many customers would end up paying more for diamonds with better clarity. Nevertheless, beyond a certain limit, such actions will not prove any desired result.
Diamonds can come in different clarity, which would affect their appearances. If the diamonds have got no visible inclusions even when observed with a 10x loupe, then they can be grouped under Flawless (FL) clarity grade. All the while, you are more likely to see more imperfections in the diamond, as the clarity grade of the stone is lowered. Most of the available diamond grading certificates offer an overview of what does clarity of a diamond defines and how do they affect the appearance and price of a diamond.
Once you are aware of all these details of a diamond, nevertheless, we may end up buying the best loose diamonds of high clarity with the thought of improving the appearance of the diamond. Customers must realize that moving further up in the clarity scale of the diamond will not enhance its appearance rather than increasing the rarity. These diamonds would have flaws that may affect the structural integrity or will not be visible to the naked eye.
Take, for example, a round diamond of 2-carat size and VS2 clarity in the naked eyes may resemble an IF diamond in all aspects. These diamonds will be obviously priced more than the normal ones as a 3% or less than that diamonds are only IF grade. Henceforth, due to this high scarcity, it would be more expensive.
An IF diamond can be considered as the right choice, even after the buyer is well aware of the fact that they are paying more for the rarity of the diamond and not for enhanced appearance. In most other cases, buyers do believe that a clarity grade above which a normal vision can perceive is totally futile.
In most general cases, the appearance of a normal diamond will not be enhanced even if its clarity grade is higher than VS2. Meanwhile, diamonds with low clarity, say, for instance, SI2 stone will appear as flawless to the normal naked eyes just like any diamonds of higher grades. Regardless of severity, smaller diamonds of all clarity characteristics will turn out to be more difficult to see.