Are SI-1 clarity diamonds eye clean?
“I purchased an SI-1 clarity diamond online from another vendor, but ended up returning the diamond because it was not eye clean. The customer service representative who I spoke with assured me that the diamond was eye clean, but I was able to locate the inclusion within seconds of taking the ring out of the box. Several people on an online forum recommended that I look at diamonds from Brian Gavin. They said that the higher degree of sparkle factor exhibited by your diamonds make it more difficult to see the inclusions. Is that true? And are SI-1 clarity diamonds supposed to be eye clean? Or do I really need to look at VS-2 clarity diamonds? The diamond I’m considering at the moment is this 1.357 carat, J-color, SI-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature diamond, which is designated as being eye clean.”
Determining if SI-1 clarity diamond is eye clean:
Gemologists are taught that a diamond is eye clean if the inclusions within the diamond are not readily and immediately visible when the diamond is viewed from a distance of 9 – 12 inches. The 1.357 carat, J-color, SI-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature diamond is eye clean by those standards. The inclusions are not going to be readily and immediately visible if you look at the diamond, but this does not mean that you might not be able to locate them if you scrutinize the diamond closely. Which is what people tend to do when they buy a diamond. Perhaps a better question is “To what degree are the inclusions visible without magnification?”
Posing the question in this manner will get you a more detailed answer. In this instance, the diamond is eye clean from up to 4 – 6 inches. If you scrutinize the diamond any closer than that, there is a chance that you might be able to see the primary inclusion. However, it will be very slight. Naturally the degree to which you are able to see the inclusions within a diamond always depends upon your individual vision.
Most of the people who I know, experience difficulty focusing clearly on small objects that are being viewed only a few inches from their face. Thus the degree to which this diamond is “eye clean” would be perfectly fine for them. But if you happen to have “Eagle Vision” then it might be better for you to consider diamonds that are VS-2 clarity and higher.
The Brian Gavin Difference:
One of the advantages of purchasing a Brian Gavin Signature diamond is that the diamonds are in-stock and available for evaluation. We can walk over to the vault, pull the diamond, and answer any questions that you might have. Whereas the majority of our “competitors” are working off of virtual inventory, most of which is located overseas. Thus when you ask for more details, they have to get in touch with the source supplier, and then they parrot whatever answer is given to them. All too often, that information seems to be inaccurate, not straightforward, and is only intended to get you to order the diamond in hopes that it will be good enough when you receive it.
Brian Gavin is a straight shooter. We’re happy to talk about the characteristics of any diamond which you are considering. We know that an integral part of the recipe for creating satisfied clients is to provide you with in-depth information. That’s why we provide a high resolution video, clarity photograph, and reflector scope images for all of our Signature diamonds. You may also be interested in Are Brian Gavin SI-1 clarity diamonds cloudy.
