J.B. Grading System
Our diamonds pass through rigorous quality control and are assessed finely by qualified craftsmen. Each flawless diamond complies with stringent specifications of color, clarity and shape.
- Clarity Grade**
- Table Inclusion**
- Black Inclusion**
- Opens**
- Type of Inclusion**
- Knot**
- Graining**
- Eye Clean
Clarity Grade
A diamond's clarity refers to the presence of identifying characteristics on and within the stone. While most of these characteristics are inherent qualities of the rough diamond, and have been present since the earliest stages of the crystal's growth below ground, a few are actually a result of the harsh stress that a diamond undergoes during the cutting process itself.
| Code - Shade | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|
| FL Flawless | Diamonds in this range have no inclusions, neither internal nor external. |
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| IF Internally Flawless | No internal inclusions visible with 10x magnification. There may be some tiny external irregularities in the finish. |
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| VVS1 Very very slightly included 1 | Extremely difficult to see the inclusion. Even difficult to spot by trained eyes with 10 x. |
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| VVS2 Very very slightly included 2 | Still difficult to see the inclusions with 10x magnification but easier than VVS1. |
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| VS1+ Better than VS1 & closer to VVS2 | Slightly better than VS1. |
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| VS1 Very slightly included 1 | Little difficult to see the inclusions with 10x magnification. |
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| VS2+ Better than VS2 & closer to VS1 | Slightly better than VS2 |
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| VS2 Very slightly included 2 | Very small inclusions visible with 10x magnification |
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| SI1+ Better than SI1 & closer to VS2 | Slightly better than SI1. |
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| SI1 Slightly included 1 | Small inclusion visible with 10x magnification. |
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| SI1- lower than SI1 | Slightly lower than SI1 |
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| SI2+ Better than SI2 & closer to SI1 | Slightly better than SI2 |
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| SI2 Slightly included 2 | Small inclusions easily visible with 10x magnification. |
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| SI2- lower than SI2 | Slightly lower than SI2 |
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| SI3+ Better than SI3 & closer to SI2 | Slightly better than SI3 |
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| SI3 Slightly included 3 | Inclusions that may be visible to the naked eye for a trained observer |
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| SI3- Slightly lower than SI3 | Slightly lower than SI3 |
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| I1+ Better than I1 & closer to SI3 | Slightly better than I1 |
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| I1 Included 1 | Inclusions that may be easily visible to the naked eye for a trained observer. |
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| I1- lower than I1 | Slightly lower than I1 |
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| I2+ Better than I2 & closer to I1 | Slightly better than I2 |
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| I2 Included 2 | Many flaws clearly visible to the naked eye that also decrease the brilliance |
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| I2- lower than I2 | Slightly lower than I2 |
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| I3+ Better than I3 & closer to I2 | Slightly better than I3 |
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| I3 Included 3 | Many flaws clearly visible to the naked eye which decrease the brilliance and compromise the structure of the diamond, making it more easily cracked or chipped. |
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| I3 - lower than I3 | Slightly lower than I3 |
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Table Inclusion (TI)
To enhance our clarity grading we introduce a new factor i.e. Table Inclusion (TI). This can be Black or white inclusion on table in proportion to the clarity
| Code | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|
| T0 - CENTER CLEAN | It doesn’t have any inclusion in table. |
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| T1 - MINOR | This inclusion is not easily visible in table and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
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| T2- MEDIUM | There is Slight presence of inclusion in table. It is partially visible and dependent on the clarity grade. |
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| T3 - MAJOR | They are moderately included in table. It is visible and dependent on the clarity grade. |
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| T4 - HEAVY | Inclusion is found in abundance in table. It is easily visible and dependant on the clarity grade. It affects the pricing of the diamond extensively. |
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These ratings are dependent on the maximum inclusions for every diamond in each clarity grade and are visible with 10X magnification.
Black Inclusion Proportion: Natts (BI)
This term is used to indicate the amount of black inclusions as compared to the total inclusions in the diamond.This is sub divided in two parts 1: BIC = BLACK IN CENTER ,2: BIS = BLACK IN SIDE
Black Inclusion On Center (BIC)
| Code | Description |
Image
White Inclusions
Black inclusions
|
|---|---|---|
| B0-NOT VISIBLE | This black inclusion is not easily visible and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
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| B1-MINOR | There is a Slight presence of black inclusion. This inclusion is partially visible and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
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| B2-MEDIUM | There is moderation of black inclusion. This inclusion is easily visible and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
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| B3-MAJOR | Black inclusion is found in abundance. These inclusion are very easily visible and it is dependent on the clarity grade. They affect the pricing of the diamond extensively. |
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| B4-HEAVY | Black inclusions are plenty and are clearly visible. They are instrumental in pricing of the diamond. |
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These ratings are dependent on the maximum Black inclusions for every diamond in each clarity grade and are visible with 10X magnification
OPENS (OP)
This term is used to indicate open position in diamond if there is any open on the surface of diamonds. This is subdivided in three parts: - (1) OPTA = Open on Table, (2) OPCR = Open on Crown, (3) OPPV = Open on Pavilion.
Open on Table (OPTA)
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| (O1) – VERY SMALL | Difficult to see and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
| (O2) – SMALL | Easy to see as compared to very small and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
| (O3) – HEAVY | Easily seen and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
Open on Crown (OPCR)
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| (O1) – VERY SMALL | Difficult to see and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
| (O2) – SMALL | Easy to see as compared to very small and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
| (O3) – HEAVY | Easily seen and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
Open on Pavilion (OPPV)
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| (O1) – VERY SMALL | Difficult to see and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
| (O2) – SMALL | Easy to see as compared to very small and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
| (O3) – HEAVY | Easily seen and it is dependent on the clarity grade. |
These ratings are dependent on the maximum Open for every diamond in each clarity grade and are visible with 10X magnification.
Types of Inclusion (TOI)
Types of Inclusion depend upon the intensity of concentration of inclusion in entire diamond and ease of its visibility in diamonds.
| Code | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|
| (A) Very Light of Soft | This inclusion is very soft and very light and has extremely low concentration and dependant on clarity grade. |
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| (B) Soft | This inclusion is soft and light and has low concentration and dependant on clarity grade. |
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| (C) Normal | This inclusion is reasonably concentrated. Clearly visible and dependant on clarity grade. |
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| (D) Hard | This is highly concentrated. Prominently visible and dependant on clarity grade. |
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| (E ) Very Hard | Very Highly concentrated inclusion. Very prominently visible and dependant on clarity grade. |
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These ratings are based on the presence and intensity in the entire diamond considering the clarity grade with 10x magnification.
KNOT
A "knot" is an included diamond crystal that extends to the surface of the diamond. In other words, it is a diamond crystal which reaches the polished surface of a finished diamond. With proper lighting and magnification you may be able to see the boundary between the knot and the diamond which contains it. Knots sometimes resemble raised areas on a facet surface or group of facets. Differences in the polish quality may be visible on the surface of the knot and the facet where it is located. We typically reject diamonds for this characteristic because we feel that knots provide a potential durability risk to the longevity of the diamond. The first picture below shows a knot as seen through our Gem Scope using a normal light source; we diffused the light source for the second picture to provide you with a different perspective of the inclusion.
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| Y – YES | KNOT is present in diamond. |
GRAINING**
Graining is divided in to two parts namely Internal graining (IG) and surface graining (SG). Internal inclusion of irregular crystal growth may appear milky like faint lines or streaks, or may be colored or reflective. The inclusions or graining that appears on the surface of the diamond is known as surface graining.
The comment on a lab report indicating "Internal Graining Not Shown" should not be reason for alarm because it refers to clarity characteristic which is usually not readily visible without the use of extremely high magnification. Internal Graining should not be considered an "absolute characteristic" because the visibility depends on the lighting conditions and the specific angle by which the diamond is being evaluated. It might be visible to an experience diamond grader who is examining the diamond under laboratory conditions, but may never be detected by other people. Essentially internal graining refers to part of the grain structure of the diamond which was visible as a kind of transparent line to the grader. The degree of the visibility of the grain lines will have an effect upon the clarity grade of the diamond and if no other clarity characteristics are present then the graining may be the basis for the clarity grade of the diamond. For instance, a diamond that contained small diamond crystals which by themselves would warrant a clarity grade of VS-1 might be graded as a VS-2 if internal graining were present. However another diamond that did not contain the diamond crystals might be graded as VVS-2 if the grade is based upon internal graining and the comment "clarity grade based upon internal graining" would appear under the "comments" section of the lab report while nothing is indicated under the "keys to symbols" by the plotting diagram. This series of photographs shows the very subtle effect of internal graining as seen within a diamond we purchased for inventory at various degrees of magnification. Notice how the internal graining is not readily visible in the first picture which was taken using a magnification level of about 20x. The internal graining is barely visible in the next two photographs which were taken of the table facet at about 40x magnification, the grain line appears as a kind of translucent line as indicated by the light blue arrows. We increased the magnification substantially for the remaining pictures which show the internal grain line as seen through our Gem Scope using normal and diffused light sources.
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| IG – Internal Graining | Diamond has internal graining |
| SG- Surface Graining | Diamond has surface graining |
Eye Clean
| Code | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|
E1 – Eye Clean |
Diamond that has no inclusion visible to the naked eye. We describe it in clarity grade SI1 and down. Stones having clarity VS2 and above always falls in this criteria. |
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E2 – Semi Eye Clean |
These diamonds have inclusions which are visible to trained naked eyes as compared to Eye Clean diamonds. |
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These ratings are dependent on the maximum inclusions for every diamond in each clarity grade and visible with naked eye.
