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Magnification of Diamonds

Is an SI-2 clarity diamond good enough for engagement ring?

“I’m shopping for a diamond engagement ring, and as much as I’d like for everything about it to be perfect, I think that I’m going to have to sacrifice diamond clarity or color to get the size that she really wants. I’m considering this 1.357 carat, I-color, SI-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond, but there seem to be a lot of inclusions visible in the clarity video, and the inclusions seem rather visible. Do you think that an SI-2 clarity diamond good enough for an engagement ring? Or do you think that I should accept the fact that I might have to go smaller in size, or warmer in color? She tried on a 1.30 carat diamond awhile back and really loved the size.”

How visible are the inclusions with an SI-2 clarity diamond?

1.357 carat 1 color si2 clarity diamondI realize that the inclusions within this 1.357 carat, I-color, SI-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond might look a bit daunting in the high resolution video that is provided on the diamond details page, but keep in mind that we’ve blown the diamond up to about 35x magnification in order to make it easier for you to identify the inclusions within the diamond. The sole purpose of the video is to provide you with insight regarding the inclusions, if you were to look at the diamond normal size, you’d be hard pressed to see the inclusions at all because they are really quite minute.

Awhile back I asked one of our photographers to take this picture of a dime using the same degree of magnification that we use to take the clarity photograph and high resolution video. Notice how easy it is to see the scratches and small dings on the surface of the diamond at this higher degree of magnification. The blemishes that are present on the surface of the diamond are quite easy to detect using magnification, but are not nearly as apparent when I look at the dime from a normal viewing distance. The same is true for the inclusions within this particular SI-2 clarity diamond.

Of course, it is important to realize that every diamond is different, no two diamonds contain the exact same type of inclusions, located in the same place, or with the same degree of visibility. Which is why it is important to work with a vendor like Brian Gavin Diamonds who maintain a physical inventory of diamonds on the premises, and are thus able to pull the diamonds from the vault and take a look at them in order to provide you with an accurate assessment of the inclusions.

SI-2 clarity diamonds offer tremendous value:

I think that the SI-2 clarity diamonds from Brian Gavin offer tremendous value, because the volume of light return and the incredible sparkle is all that anybody ever really focuses upon. Even if it is possible to see an inclusion or two with the naked eye, it isn’t really something which is glaringly obvious, it is something that you would really have to scrutinize the diamond closely in order to see… and that isn’t how we tend to look at diamonds, except during the initial purchase period. Beyond that, we tend to view the diamond while it is in motion, and then all we’re going to see is the sparkle!

Note that we published this blog post after our client had the opportunity to purchase the 1.357 carat, I-color, SI-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond. In this particular instance, he elected to buy a slightly smaller diamond which was SI-1 in clarity, and slightly warmer in color, and to set the diamond in a simpler, less expensive setting. His fiancé later indicated that she would have been perfectly fine with this diamond as well…

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