Diamond Chart

Below is a diamond chart with a rating system that will help you to evaluate stones of specific color and diamond clarity combinations. This diamond chart compares diamonds starting with the most prized color D (colorless) and balances them with loose diamonds of various clarity. You can cross-reference the diamond color with various clarity grades listed to the left of the diamond chart. This guideline and the evaluations represent the opinions of the author and assume that all stone comparisons are of equal diamond cut grade.

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Clarity	D Color Diamonds
D-Flawless	Investment	Elite-Investment Grade
		Stones of this grade are very expensive and seldom used in traditional jewelry.
D-VVS-1	Investment	Excessive-Investment Grade
		Stones of this grade are very expensive and seldom used in traditional jewelry.
D-VVS-2	Investment	Excessive-Investment Grade
		The color is visibly the best, and flaws are only detectable under close scrutiny with a microscope.
D-VS-1	Eccentric	Top Color-Excellent Clarity
		The color is visibly the best and flaws are only detectable under close scrutiny with a microscope.
D-VS-2	Choice	Top Color-Very Good Clarity
		The best grade the naked eye can see. Absolutely colorless and flawless without the aid of magnification.
D-SI-1	Very Nice	Top Color-Good Clarity
		Absolutely colorless and the flaws are seldom detectable in during normal wear.
D-SI-2	Acceptable	Top Color-Marginal Clarity
		If you love color, and can live with slightly detectable flaws this can sometimes work.
D-I-1	Avoid	Top Color-Poor Clarity
		Not logical to have perfect color if flaws are easily detectable. Consider sacrificing some color for clarity.
D-I-2 & Below	No	Top Color-Poor Clarity
		Not logical to have perfect color and obvious flaws.

Clarity	E Color Diamonds
E-Flawless	Investment	Excessive-Investment Grade
		Stones of this grade are very expensive and seldom used in traditional jewelry.
E-VVS-1	Investment	Excellent Color-Excessive
		Stones of this grade are very expensive and seldom used in traditional jewelry.
E-VVS-2	Eccentric	Excellent Color-Great Clarity
		The color is beautiful flaws are only detectable under close scrutiny with a microscope.
E-VS-1	Fine	Excellent Color-Excellent Clarity
		Beautiful color and with minimal flaws detectable under 10X microscope.
E-VS-2	Choice	Excellent Color-Very Good Clarity
		Beautiful color and the clarity is flawless to the naked eye.
E-SI-1	Very Nice	Excellent Color-Good Clarity
		Beautiful color and flaws are probably not detectable in during normal wear.
E-SI-2	Acceptable	Excellent Color-Marginal Clarity
		If you love color, and can live with slightly detectable flaws this can sometimes work.
E-I-1	Avoid	Excellent Color-Poor Clarity
		Not logical to have eccentric color if flaws are easily detectable. Consider sacrificing some color for clarity.
E-I-2 & Below	No	Excellent Color-Poor Clarity
		Not logical to have perfect color and obvious flaws

Clarity	F Color Diamonds
F-Flawless	Investment	Excellent Color-Excessive Clarity
		Beautiful color and no flaws visible under 10X microscope.
F-VVS-1	Eccentric	Excellent Color-Excessive Clarity
		Beautiful color and flaws are barely detectable under 10X microscope.
F-VVS-2	Eccentric	Excellent Color-Excessive Clarity
		Beautiful color and flaws are barely detectable under 10X microscope.
F-VS-1	Fine	Excellent Color-Excellent Clarity
		Beautiful color and with minimal flaws detectable under 10X microscope.
F-VS-2	Choice	Excellent Color-Very Good Clarity
		Beautiful color and the stone will be flawless to the naked eye.
F-SI-1	Very Nice	Excellent Color-Good Clarity
		Beautiful color and flaws are probably not detectable during normal wear.
F-SI-2	Acceptable	Excellent Color-Marginal Clarity
		If you love color, favor size, and can live with slightly detectable flaws this can sometimes work.
F-I-1	Avoid	Excellent Color-Poor Clarity
		Not logical to have excellent color if flaws are easily detectable. Consider sacrificing some color for clarity.
F-I-2 & Below	No	Excellent Color-Poor Clarity
		Not logical to have amazing color and obvious flaws.

Clarity	G Color Diamonds
G-Flawless	Eccentric	Very Good Color-Excessive Clarity
		Beautiful color-and no visible flaws under 10X microscope.
G-VVS-1	Eccentric	Very Good Color-Excessive Clarity
		Beautiful color and flaws are barely detectable under 10X microscope.
G-VVS-2	Very Nice	Very Good Color-Excessive Clarity
		Beautiful color and clarity, flaws are barely detectable under 10X microscope.
G-VS-1	Fine	Very Good Color-Excellent Clarity
		Beautiful color and clarity with minimal flaws detectable under 10X microscope.
G-VS-2	Choice	Very Good Color-Very Good Clarity
		Beautiful color and clarity. The stone will be flawless to the naked eye.
G-SI-1	Nice	Very Good Color-Good Clarity
		The color is beautiful and flaws are probably not detectable during normal wear.
G-SI-2	Acceptable	Very Good Color-Marginal Clarity
		If you want a pretty stone, and can live with slightly detectable flaws this can sometimes work.
G-I-1	Avoid	Very Good Color-Poor Clarity
		Not logical to have very good color if flaws are easily detectable. Consider sacrificing some color for clarity.
G-I-2 & Below	No	Very Good Color-Poor Clarity
		Not logical to have amazing color and obvious flaws.

Clarity	H Color Diamonds
H-Flawless	Unbalanced	Good Color-Excessive Clarity
		Pleasing color with no visible flaws under 10x microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity for size or higher color.
H-VVS-1	Unbalanced	Good Color-Excessive Clarity
		Pleasing color with minimal flaws under 10x microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity for size or higher color.
H-VVS-2	Unbalanced	Good Color-Excessive Clarity
		Pleasing color with minimal flaws under 10x microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity for higher color.
H-VS-1	Very Good	Good Color-Excellent Clarity
		Pleasing color with minimal flaws detectable under 10X microscope.
H-VS-2	Practical	Good Color-Very Good Clarity
		Pleasing color and clarity. The stone will be flawless to the naked eye.
H-SI-1	Practical	Good Color-Good Clarity
		Pleasing color and flaws are probably not detectable during normal wear.
H-SI-2	Acceptable	Good Color-Marginal Color
		If you favor size, and can live with slightly detectable flaws this can sometimes work.
H-I-1	Avoid	Good Color-Poor Clarity
		Inexpensive pleasing color with easily detectable flaws. Consider sacrificing size to improve clarity.
H-I-2 & Below	No	Good Color-Poor Clarity
		Good Color-Poor Clarity: The diamond will have obvious flaws. Consider a smaller stone to improve clarity.

Clarity	I Color Diamonds
I-Flawless	Unbalanced	Good Color-Excessive Clarity
		Good color no visible flaws under 10x microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity for size or higher color.
I-VVS-1	Clean	Good Color-Excessive Clarity
		Good color with minimal flaws under 10x microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity for size or higher color.
I-VVS-2	Clean	Good Color-Excessive Clarity
		Good color with minimal flaws under 10x microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity for size or higher color.
I-VS-1	Clean	Good Color-Excellent Clarity
		Good color with minimal flaws under 10x microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity for higher color.
I-VS-2	Practical	Good Color-Very Good Clarity
		Good color and clarity. The stone will be flawless to the naked eye.
I-SI-1	Practical	Good Color-Good Clarity
		Good color and flaws are probably not detectable during normal wear.
I-SI-2	Acceptable	Good Color-Marginal Clarity
		If you favor size, and can live with slightly detectable flaws this can sometimes work.
I-I-1	Avoid	Good Color-Poor Clarity
		Inexpensive pleasing color with easily detectable flaws. Consider sacrificing size to improve clarity.
I-I-2 & Below	No	Good Color-Poor Clarity
		The diamond will have obvious flaws. Consider a smaller stone to improve clarity.

Clarity	J Color Diamonds
J-Flawless	Unbalanced	Fair Color-Excessive Clarity
		Slightly yellow with no flaws under 10X microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity to improve color.
J-VVS-1	Unbalanced	Fair Color-Excessive Clarity
		Slightly yellow with minimal flaws under 10X microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity to improve color.
J-V VS-2	Unbalanced	Fair Color-Excessive Clarity
		Slightly yellow with minimal flaws under 10X microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity to improve color.
J-VS-1	Fair	Fair Color-Excessive Clarity
		Slightly yellow with minimal flaws under 10X microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity to improve color.
J-VS-2	Fair	Fair Color-Very Good Clarity
		Slightly yellow with no visible flaws to the eye. Consider sacrificing size to improve color.
J-SI-1	Fair	Fair Color-Good Clarity
		Slightly yellow with negligible flaws to the eye. Consider sacrificing size to improve color.
J-SI-2	Fair	Fair Color-Marginal Clarity
		Slightly yellow with negligible flaws to the eye. Consider sacrificing size to improve color.
J-I-1	Avoid	Fair Color-Poor Clarity
		Slightly yellow with visible flaws to the eye. Consider sacrificing size to improve clarity and color.
J-I-2 & Below	Avoid	Fair Color-Poor Clarity
		Off color diamond with obvious flaws to the eye. Consider sacrificing size to improve clarity and color.

Clarity	K Color Diamonds & Below
K-Flawless	Unbalanced	Poor Color-Excessive Clarity
		Off color diamond with no flaws under 10X microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity to improve color.
K-VVS-1	Unbalanced	Poor Color-Excessive Clarity
		Off color diamond with minimal flaws under 10X microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity to improve color.
K-VVS-2	Unbalanced	Poor Color-Excessive Clarity
		Off color diamond with minimal flaws under 10X microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity to improve color.
K-VS-1	Unbalanced	Poor Color-Excessive Clarity
		Off color diamond with minimal flaws under 10X microscope. Consider sacrificing clarity to improve color.
K-VS-2	Avoid	Poor Color-Very Good Clarity
		Off color diamond flawless to eye under 10X microscope. Consider sacrificing size to improve color.
K-SI-1	Avoid	Poor Color-Good Clarity
		Off color diamond with negligible flaws to the eye. Consider sacrificing size to improve color.
K-SI-2	Avoid	Poor Color-Marginal Clarity
		Off color diamond with negligible flaws to the eye. Consider sacrificing size to improve color.
K-I-1	NO	Poor Color-Poor Clarity
		Off color diamond with visible flaws to the eye. Consider sacrificing size to improve clarity and color.
K-I-2 & Below	NO	Poor Color-Poor Clarity
		Off color diamond with obvious flaws to the eye. Consider sacrificing size to improve clarity and color.