Diamond Clarity Chart Explained: VS, VVS, SI and More

A diamond clarity chart ranks a diamond's tiny internal and surface imperfections across 11 grades, from Flawless (FL) at the top down to Included (I3) at the bottom. For most buyers, VS1 and VS2 stones are the sweet spot: they look perfectly clean to the naked eye yet cost far less than the near-perfect grades only a microscope can tell apart. Buy with your eyes, not the label.

What is a diamond clarity chart?

Clarity measures the tiny birthmarks inside and on the surface of a diamond. The ones inside are called inclusions; the ones on the surface are called blemishes. Both form naturally as the crystal grows, and a trained gemologist grades them under 10x magnification. The fewer and smaller they are, the higher the grade climbs.

At Signora, every diamond is lab-grown and IGI-certified, and lab-grown stones are graded on exactly the same clarity scale as mined ones. The certificate that comes with your stone plots each inclusion on a diagram, so you know precisely what you are buying before you commit. To see how clarity fits alongside cut, color and carat, read our 4Cs of diamonds explained guide.

What do FL, IF, VVS, VS, SI and I mean?

The chart runs through eleven grades grouped into six families. Here is the full scale in plain language, along with whether each grade is typically eye-clean, meaning no inclusions are visible to a normal person at arm's length.

What does "eye-clean" really mean?

Eye-clean means that when you hold the diamond about 10 to 12 inches from your face in normal light, you cannot see any inclusions without magnification. This is the standard that actually matters, because nobody admires your ring through a jeweler's loupe. A VS2 and a VVS1 can look identical face-up, yet the price gap between them is real money you could spend elsewhere.

Two stones with the same grade can still differ. The type, color and position of an inclusion count as much as the grade itself. A small crystal tucked under the setting's prongs is far less distracting than a dark feather sitting dead center under the table. A faint, colorless pinpoint at the edge is essentially invisible, while a contrasting cloud in the middle can catch the light in the wrong way. That is why we always tell shoppers to view the actual stone or its certificate plot, never just the letter grade printed on a listing.

Which clarity grade is the best value?

For a white round or other brilliant-cut diamond, VS1 to VS2 is the value sweet spot. You get a stone that is reliably eye-clean while skipping the steep premium attached to FL, IF and VVS grades that no one will ever notice. SI1 can be an even smarter buy when the certificate plot shows the inclusions sit off to the side rather than under the table.

Because a lab-grown diamond already costs roughly 80 to 95 percent less than a mined stone of the same certified quality, choosing VS over VVS lets you redirect that saving toward a larger carat or a finer cut, the two factors that most affect how a ring actually looks in daily life. Browse certified stones by clarity in our diamond finder, or start from a finished design in our engagement rings collection.

Why do step cuts like emerald need higher clarity?

Not every diamond hides its flaws equally. Brilliant cuts such as round, oval, cushion and princess have dozens of facets that scatter light and camouflage small inclusions. Step cuts like the emerald and Asscher, by contrast, have long, open, mirror-like facets that act like windows straight into the stone, so any inclusion is much easier to spot.

For those shapes we suggest moving up to VS1, or even VVS2, to stay safely eye-clean. The extra clarity earns its keep here because the cut gives inclusions nowhere to hide. Learn more in our emerald cut diamonds guide, or filter emerald stones directly in the diamond finder and compare plots side by side.

How does clarity fit with the rest of the 4Cs?

Clarity is only one lever, and honestly not the most powerful one. In our experience, cut has the biggest visible impact on sparkle, followed by carat and then color, with clarity mattering least once a stone is already eye-clean. Spending on a VVS grade while accepting a mediocre cut is a common and costly mistake.

A sensible plan for most rings looks like this: choose an excellent cut, pick a color grade that faces up white against your chosen metal, aim for VS clarity, and let carat take whatever budget remains. That balance produces a livelier, more beautiful ring than chasing a perfect clarity grade alone ever could. You will find that same logic reflected across our rings collection.

The bottom line

A diamond clarity chart is a useful map, but your own eyes are the real judge. For round and brilliant cuts, VS1 to VS2 gives you a flawless-looking stone without the flawless price; for emerald and other step cuts, nudge up to VS1 or VVS2. Every Signora diamond is lab-grown, IGI-certified and made to order in solid gold or platinum, with import duties prepaid to the US, UK and Canada. Ready to compare grades side by side? Explore certified stones in our diamond finder and see for yourself how little the eye-clean sweet spot really costs.