Diamond Colour Chart
D to Z: which grades look white in a ring, and the one to pick for your metal
Read guide 7 min
Diamond clarity
Which diamond clarity do you actually need?
There are eleven clarity grades, and you'll only see a difference across the bottom few. Here's the full chart, in a ring and under a jeweller's loupe, and the grade to pick for your shape.
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Parth KananiOctober 2026 · 7 min read
The short answer: choose VS2 for a round diamond and VS1 for emerald or Asscher shapes. Everything above that looks the same in a ring. SI1 can work too, but only if you've seen the actual stone.
The clarity chart
Flawless to I3, in a ring and under a loupe
Clarity grades describe the tiny marks inside a diamond. Each row shows the stone as you'd see it on a hand, then magnified like a jeweller's 10x loupe. Notice how long the first column stays clean.
GradeIn a ringAt 10xWhat it means
FL
Flawless
In a ringAt 10xClean. So is everything down to VS2.
Under a loupe: Nothing inside or on the surface.
In a ring: Not visibleIF
Internally flawless
In a ringAt 10xClean.
Under a loupe: Nothing inside; tiny surface marks only.
In a ring: Not visibleVVS1
Very, very slightly included
In a ringAt 10xClean.
Under a loupe: Marks so small a trained grader struggles to find them.
In a ring: Not visibleVVS2
Very, very slightly included
In a ringAt 10xClean.
Under a loupe: Marks very hard to find, even for a grader.
In a ring: Not visibleVS1
Very slightly included
In a ringAt 10xClean. Our pick for emerald and Asscher shapes.
Under a loupe: Small marks you find with effort.
In a ring: Not visibleVS2
Very slightly included
In a ringAt 10xClean in round and most brilliant shapes. Our pick for a round diamond.
Under a loupe: Small marks you can find fairly easily.
In a ring: Not visibleSI1
Slightly included
In a ringAt 10xOften still clean to the eye, but not always. Look at the actual stone.
Under a loupe: Marks are easy to see.
In a ring: BarelySI2
Slightly included
In a ringAt 10xMany show a mark without help, often near the middle.
Under a loupe: Marks are obvious.
In a ring: VisibleI1
Included
In a ringAt 10xVisible. We recommend avoiding I grades for engagement rings.
Under a loupe: Marks are obvious and may affect sparkle.
In a ring: VisibleI2
Included
In a ringAt 10xClearly visible, and can make the stone look cloudy.
Under a loupe: Large, obvious marks.
In a ring: VisibleI3
Included
In a ringAt 10xClearly visible.
Under a loupe: Large marks that can weaken the stone.
In a ring: Visible
How clarity is graded
Graded at 10x, worn at arm's length
Almost every diamond has marks inside it, left over from how it formed: tiny crystals, feather-like cracks, pinpoints, and cloudy patches. A grader at GIA or IGI examines the stone under 10x magnification and judges five things: how big the marks are, how many there are, where they sit, what kind they are, and how much they stand out.
The grade is the overall result. Two diamonds with the same grade can still look different: one might have a single white mark near the edge, the other a dark one right in the middle. That's why the grade gets you to a shortlist, and the stone itself (or a clear photo of it) makes the final call.
The key word is eye-clean: no marks you can see without magnification. Every grade down to VS2 is eye-clean. Most SI1 stones are. From SI2 down, many aren't.
What changes it
Four things that decide whether you'll see a mark
This is why two SI1 diamonds can look completely different.
Where it sits
A mark near the edge can hide under a claw. The same mark right in the middle, under the large top surface, is the first thing you'd see.
What colour it is
White or clear marks blend into the sparkle. Dark ones, usually tiny crystals of another mineral, stand out much more.
The shape
Round and other sparkly shapes hide marks well. Emerald and Asscher shapes have long, flat surfaces that work like windows, so go one grade higher for those.
The size
Clarity grades are relative. A mark that earns VS2 in a 2ct stone is physically bigger than one in a 0.5ct stone, so large diamonds need a slightly higher grade to look as clean.
Our recommendation
The grade to pick for each shape
The lowest grade that will still look clean in a ring. Going higher is fine, it just won't look any different.
| Shape | We recommend | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Round | VS2 | The most sparkle of any shape, which hides small marks well. SI1 works if you can see the actual stone. |
| Oval, pear, cushion, marquise, princess, radiant | VS2 | Sparkly shapes that hide marks almost as well as round. |
| Emerald, Asscher | VS1 | Long, open, flat surfaces act like windows into the stone, so marks are easier to see. |
| Any shape over 2ct | VS1 | Bigger stones mean bigger marks at the same grade. |
Not sure which shape you want yet? Compare them in our guide to diamond shapes, or see what each grade costs in the Hatton Garden price guide.
Grade against grade
The comparisons people ask about
- VS1 vs VVS1
- Both look clean in a ring. VVS1 marks are much harder to find under a loupe, and you pay for that rarity. We’d choose VS1 and put the difference into cut or size.
- VS1 vs VS2
- One grade apart, and both eye-clean. VS2 is our pick for round diamonds. Choose VS1 for emerald or Asscher shapes, or stones over 2ct.
- VS2 vs SI1
- The line where it starts to depend on the stone. Many SI1s look as clean as VS2; some don’t. Only go SI1 if you’ve seen the diamond or a clear photo of it.
- VVS1 vs VVS2
- Both so clean that a grader struggles to tell. There’s no visible reason to pay for VVS1 over VVS2, or for either over VS.
- SI2 and below
- Marks are often visible without help. We recommend avoiding these for engagement rings unless you’ve seen the stone and are happy with it.
Try it yourself
Can you spot the cleaner stone?
3 pairs, one grade apart. Pick the one you think costs more, or say they look the same, then look through the loupe to see what the grader saw.
Two diamonds. One costs more. Which?
3 rounds, about a minute. Each pair differs by one grade. Pick the one you think costs more, or say they look the same if you can't tell. Then we show you what changed, and whether anyone could see it in a ring.
Read next
Clarity is one of four grades. Here's how the others fit in.
Common Questions
What is the best diamond clarity?+
Flawless is the highest grade, but it is not the best choice for most people. Everything from Flawless down to VS2 looks the same in a ring: clean. We recommend VS2 for a round diamond and VS1 for emerald or Asscher shapes. Higher grades buy rarity, not anything you can see.
Is VS1 or VS2 better?+
VS1 is one grade higher, so its marks are slightly smaller or harder to find under a 10x loupe. In a ring, both look clean. For a round diamond we recommend VS2; for emerald and Asscher shapes, where marks are easier to see, we recommend VS1.
Is SI1 clarity good?+
It can be. Many SI1 diamonds look clean to the eye, but some don’t: it depends where the marks sit and whether they are dark or white. If you can see the actual stone or a clear photo of it, SI1 is a smart choice. Never buy an SI1 without seeing it.
What does VVS mean?+
Very, Very Slightly Included. VVS1 and VVS2 diamonds have marks so small that a trained grader struggles to find them with a 10x loupe. In a ring, they look exactly the same as VS1 and VS2.
What clarity is eye-clean?+
“Eye-clean” means you can’t see any marks without magnification. Every grade down to VS2 is eye-clean. Most SI1 diamonds are too. From SI2 down, many are not, so you need to look at the stone itself.
Can inclusions damage a diamond?+
Most can’t. The exception is a large feather-like crack near the edge of the stone, which can make it more likely to chip if it takes a hard knock. That’s mostly a concern with I grades. A good jeweller will set the stone so a claw protects any weak spot.
Do lab-grown diamonds have inclusions?+
Yes. Lab-grown diamonds have their own kinds of marks and are graded on the same scale, from Flawless to I3. Because lab-grown diamonds cost less, a higher clarity grade is a smaller step up in price, but the visual advice is the same: below VS2, look at the stone.