CLARITY

A birthmark is a small genetic quirk - an identifier that a person carries through life. The French Aristocracy found them so appealing they added imitations, applying tiny beauty spots to highlight cheekbone or dimple. Most diamonds contain natural birthmarks known as inclusions, Depending on their position within the gem, some are obvious, but most are unimportant. They come in various forms - tiny carbon specks, little feather-like lines, minute bubbles and so on, In many cases they aren't visible to the naked eye. However, the fewer and smaller the inclusions are, the less likely it is that they will interfere with the passage of light through the diamond

The flawless diamond, one in which no blemish of any kind can be seen, even under 10x power magnification, is obviously the most sought-after stone. But these are rare indeed - and priced accordingly. Just as there is a GIA color scale, so is there one for clarity. It starts, naturally enoughs with ''flawless'' and then moves down through ''internally flawless", to "very very slightly included'', to ''very slightly included'', to ''slightly included'' to ''imperfect'', The fewer the inclusions, the more rare and expensive the stone.