Clarity Grading (6.06)
Like color, clarity grading takes much practice and can be very deceiving if the grader is not careful and doesn’t take the time needed to examine the stone thoroughly. A gem-scope can give a grader an advantage with the ample lighting that the scope offers, as well as the stereoscopic viewing. Another big advantage is the dark-field illumination option. This is an interchangeable background that can be rotated in and out of place behind the subject being viewed. Most of the time, diamonds will be viewed with the dark-field in place. This creates a silhouette effect that highlights the inclusions in the diamond. When you have the opportunity, look at a diamond with your 10x loupe, noticing the details of the inclusions. Then place the same diamond on a gem-scope and notice the difference in the appearance of the inclusions. Nine out of ten times the clarity characteristics will be more obvious under the scope, using the same 10x magnification and the dark-field illumination.
