Clarity grading of colored gemstones:A Reality Check of Gemological view-Gemkart

Posted by Bhuvnesh Aggarwal on September 10th, 2019

Gemstones are one of the most beautiful gifts of nature to mankind. Man has always felt an urge to know the unknown. There is a unique passion for trying to figure out what lies beneath what is on the surface. God which endowed mankind with this powerful weapon of curiosity also created numerous wonders hidden in the lap of Mother Nature to be unearthed and unfolded. Gemstones were one such gift that gave many reasons to smile by bestowing lasting happiness by ushering many positive changes in life. It is the mystical powers of gemstones to interact with planets and natural beauty which creates a pull.

It is the rising popularity of these wondrous stones that the market for many counterfeit and cheap copies of the gemstones is also thriving. There have been many cases where people ended up buying poor quality gemstones at very high prices blinded by faith and a lack of knowledge. Wandering in ignorance, they could not channelize their curiosity in the right manner.

This underlines the need to know your gemstones well before buying it. Clarity of Precious Stones is one such primary aspect that takes center stage while addressing the quality. Clarity is highly important in gemstones especially the colored ones. It has actually been given a lot of weight as color is the first thing one notices about any gemstone.

Although a stringent scale has been formed to grade diamonds, the standard for gemstones quality is still blurred. This has bred many misconceptions as people often extend the four Cs of diamonds to colored gems as well. Clarity is significant but there is a lot of difference between the two and one can easily miss the other important cues which are essential for proper grading of the gemstones. Even the terms like VS and VVS are also being used to grade the gemstones. Professional gemologists and gemstone associations have coined the terms like “loupe clean”, “eye clean”, “very slightly included”, etc. to grade gemstones based on the fact that the inclusions in the stone can be seen with the naked eye or under a 10x magnification under the loupe.

In terms of gemstone quality, the color is definitely supreme and the inclusions are often not included unless they hinder the beauty of the gemstone. It is this focus on the color that there is an apparent absence of the international grading standard for gemstones. There is, however, the presence of a grading system, which is used but cannot be considered complete in all respects for determining the quality of the gemstone as there are many other aspects that need to be considered like the color and cut in particular. The recognized types are mentioned below:

Type 1: These are completely free of inclusions and are of high quality. Any inclusions can only be seen under 10x magnification. Also called as loupe clean.

Type 2: These have inclusions but the ones of high quality are almost clean to the naked eye. Many precious gemstones like Ruby, Natural Yellow Sapphire fall under Type 2 category.

Type 3: These have visible inclusions.

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Our gems certified from reputed and known laboratories, like Gemological Institute of India, Asiatic Center of Gemological Services, Gem Testing Laboratory, International Gem Testing Laboratory, etc. As an added security measure, all our gemstones go through 8 different kinds of inspection for quality assurance. All our gold jewelry comes with BIS hallmarking.

In spite of these types, there is still ambiguity in terms of gemstone clarity grading and there is some amount of inclusions which are present. The above guide is a good point to start but gemology is a complete science and has many aspects. Seasoned gemologists can only tell the difference which even the merchants who have been dealing with these for years cannot make out.

Gemkart has always brought you the best quality gemstones. If authenticity is your prime concern, and you still feel unsure of where to go, visit our portal and see the difference. We bring you best in class gemstones which have the power to unleash the much-deserved abundances.