Transcription
In this video, we will do a side-by-side Diamond Clarity Comparison, as well as compare their respective prices for each clarity grade. The diamond grades are I1 through I3, SI1 and SI2, VS1 and VS2, VVS1 and VVS2, and IF and FL. We will compare all of these grades in this video to these diamonds: SI2, VS2, and VVS2.
First, we look at I1. The "I" stands for Inclusion, which basically means there is a visible blemish in the diamond. Right off the bat, you can see the blemishes and how poor quality these diamonds look. The I1 diamond in the lower left looks dirty, even more than the SI2 diamond in the upper left corner. If you held this diamond 12 inches away, you would definitely be able to see all these inclusions or at least that it doesn't look great. The I1 diamond in the middle isn't as dirty looking, but you can see a large inclusion right in the center of the face of the diamond. The diamond on the lower right is I1 not for its inclusion but more for its cloudiness. This cloudiness severely takes away from the diamond's sparkle. In this example, you can see a huge cloud right here. In a diamond store, they would convince you that this diamond is still good by shining lights that would make the diamond sparkle, even though it is really cloudy.
This chart compares the price of diamonds at each clarity grade with different carats, cuts, and colors. The column on the left shows prices of I1 diamonds at a brick-and-mortar store like Kay Jewelers or Jared. The prices in the middle are from almost exactly the same diamonds as the ones on the left, only they are from an online diamond store that I will link to in the description below this video. The prices on the right show the difference or how much you would save if you bought from the diamond website I linked to below. Each of the rows represents a different carat. The carat size gets bigger as you go down. The savings are normally over at least a thousand dollars.
SI2 stands for slightly included and means that at 12 inches away, you can slightly see the inclusions. You can see the diamond on the left has a very large scratch on the face or table of the diamond. Apart from that, it looks scratchy and streaky overall. The SI2 diamond in the middle has an overall dirty or impure look to it. As a tip, if you have to buy an SI or I diamond, try to buy it with most of the inclusions on the sides of the diamond so you can hide them under the ring setting clasps. The diamond on the lower right actually doesn't look as impure as the others, but this one is cloudy as well. It may not be as cloudy as the I1s we just looked at, but it is definitely cloudy. This is worse than the other SI2s because cloudiness takes away again from the diamond's sparkle, which, besides its carat size, is what makes diamonds the most beautiful and impressive. You should always check the GIA certifications; it will tell you its cloudiness among all the impurities it has. That way, a diamond store can't trick you with pretty lights into making it look like it sparkles a lot.
These are prices of SI2 diamonds. The upper left diamond is a 0.75 carat from Kay Jewelers, with an excellent cut and D shade, and is five thousand two hundred dollars. The diamond next to it has the same specs but is from the link in the description of this video, and it is two thousand one hundred fifty dollars, which saves you three thousand fifty dollars.
Moving to SI1, these diamonds are just slightly less included than SI2, but they are still noticeably blemished. Comparing the SI1 diamond on the left to those above, you can tell it still has a large inclusion on the table but doesn't look nearly as bad as the SI2 above it, but also not as small as the VS2 inclusion in the middle diamond on the top. The SI1 diamond in the middle is more scratchy looking, maybe not as much as some we previously looked at, but still scratchy. Oh, and just in case you are wondering, the diamonds we look at in 360 in this video are color D and have excellent cuts, so their only flaws are in the clarity category. Finally, the SI1 diamond in the lower right is cloudy as well. Like I said before, be very careful of cloudiness and check the GIA report because their sparkle or scintillation will be diminished, which means the diamond won't pop when you look at it.
This time, let's compare the middle row, which has a Kay Jewelers 1 carat diamond that is SI1, F shade, and ideal or excellent cut. It is nine thousand four hundred dollars, and a similar diamond from my link below is five thousand one hundred sixty dollars, which means you save over four thousand dollars. You can also see in the third row, as it gets close to two carats, you save over eleven thousand dollars buying a diamond from the mentioned website.
Here are VS2 diamond clarity comparisons. VS2 means that at about 12 inches away, the diamond is very slightly included, or you can very slightly see the blemish. This is the lowest level where I would feel comfortable. For example, the diamond in the lower left is included, where I have it highlighted, but it can be easily hidden under a clasp that holds the diamond in place. However, the VS2 diamond in the middle you would want to skip out on, as you can still see the inclusion in the middle of the table fairly clearly. Now, at this level, most people won't even see the inclusion in real life, even if they are looking for it. The diamond in the lower right has inclusions that are smaller than expected for a VS2 diamond, but it is an example of cloudiness once again, which you should be very careful of, as I already explained.
On the VS2 price chart, the Kay Jewelers diamond that is 2 carats, shade E, and ideally cut is forty-two thousand seven hundred dollars, which is really high for this quality, as you can tell by the similar diamond from the website I have linked to below, which is nineteen thousand six hundred ninety dollars. This saves you twenty-three thousand dollars. That's over fifty percent savings if you click on my link, which will help you find a less expensive diamond. So if you go to another computer or device, make sure you come back and click on that link.
To start off with the VS1 diamonds, I will highlight their inclusions. Even with this magnification, lighting, and camera settings, these inclusions will be very hard to see, which is why it stands for very slightly included. Technically, you could see these inclusions very slightly at 12 inches, but honestly, like 1 in every thousand people would see it, even if they were looking for it. The VS1 diamond in the middle has an obvious inclusion in the middle of the table, but you wouldn't even see that in real life. Comparing it to the VS2 diamond above it, it is obviously smaller in inclusion but bigger than anything you'd see on the VVS2 in the upper right corner. The diamond in the lower right is obviously streaky in this magnification, but you wouldn't see those streaks in real life; it would be slightly less sparkly because of them.
On the VS1 clarity and price chart, you can see that the 2 carat diamond from Jared is less than the one we just saw from Kay in the VS2, but compared to its counterpart from my link below, you would still save eleven thousand dollars by buying it from that link. Now, I am just using Kay and Jared, but these are the prices from almost every brick-and-mortar jewelry store you would go to. If you watch some of my other diamond videos, you will see that.
VVS2 diamonds have inclusions that you can't even see with the naked eye. However, you can see them with these magnified diamonds. To even see these impurities, you are probably going to have to make the video 4K in the settings of YouTube and then make it a full-screen video. I have to highlight them so you can even see them at this magnification, and even now, it's really hard to see them. As far as people being able to spot an impurity, you can safely buy a VVS2 diamond, but really, you could feel pretty safe at the VS's as well. The only reason to go higher than a VVS2 is if you want to be able to say your diamond is flawless or you are just OCD and need a pure diamond, even if you can't see it, which is kind of what I am because I bought my wife one that was flawless.
The VVS2 diamond clarity comparison chart with prices shows that the 0.71 diamond in the upper left is seven thousand three hundred dollars, which is ridiculous, but if you want to be able to say you bought your diamond from Kay Jewelers, be my guest and pay that much. As a tip, sometimes you can shop with your significant other in a brick-and-mortar store for the type of diamond that you want, but then come buy a similar diamond from my link, and you will save a lot of money, or you can spend the same amount and get an even better diamond. Then you just take that online diamond back to the diamond store and have them set it in the band that your significant other chose from the diamond store or buy a similar one online if they aren't too picky.
On this last comparison, I have two VVS1 diamonds and one IF diamond, which is internally flawless. You will have to have it full screen and 4K once again, but I will highlight the impurity on the VVS1s. You still may not be able to see them, though; it is really hard. These diamonds are beautiful. If you have a budget for your diamond ring, I would say don't go this high and put more into a better carat or cut. If you watch my other diamond comparison videos, I explain why those are more important.
Here are the prices of some VVS1 diamonds and one IF diamond. Make sure you come back to this video and click on the link in the description if you buy a diamond on another device. That link will help you find a diamond with great prices. Don't forget to subscribe, ask any questions you have in the comments, and watch my other videos that help you understand color, cut, carat, cost, and certification, as well as where and how to save on quality diamonds.