Navigating through the world of glitzy, lavish diamonds can totally be daunting - I get it. We have cuts and colors and clarity grades…not to mention different shapes and carat weights. Some diamonds are better for rings, some are better for earrings, and some aren’t even worth buying at all. If you have done your diamond research, then you probably already know that a VVS diamond is a very high clarity (and hence quality) stone. But! Is it necessary to have this high of a caliber gemstone for earrings? Would any other clarity grade lessen the beauty or look less spectacular than the superior VVS diamond? If these are some of the questions you have then stick around because that is exactly what I am here to explain.
What is a VVS Diamond?
Overall diamond quality is based on the 4C’s - cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Of these characteristics, clarity is definitely one of the most important properties. So, to really understand what a VVS diamond is, we have to discuss the entire diamond clarity scale as a whole. Trust me - the more knowledgeable you are about diamonds, the easier it will be to buy them!
Flawless (FL): The top clarity grade for a diamond is flawless - I am talking absolutely perfect here. A flawless diamond is incredibly rare (as most truly perfect things are). This is because diamonds form deep underground where other elements and minerals and crystals are all coming together simultaneously. The saying from gem school is that mother nature cooks in a dirty kitchen…and that is so true. This is why a flawless diamond is exceptional, valuable, and ultimately why they are worth so much. Rarity costs money!
Internally Flawless (IF): Right below flawless, and almost equally as impressive, is the internally flawless diamond. This just means that the diamond has an external blemish on its surface - such as a scratch, nick, chip, or abrasion. The good news is that an internally flawless diamond can be recut to eliminate the blemish, and hence upgrading the diamond to the coveted flawless status! The downside of recutting the diamond is that some of the original carat weight will be lost, giving us a smaller finished (but perfect) gemstone.
Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1, VVS2): Moving on to the most important clarity grade for us today - very very slightly included or VVS1 and VVS2 (with VVS2 inclusions being more numerous, darker, or in a more obvious spot on the diamond). This clarity grade means that the diamond has inclusions - but on a very very slight level. Guys I am talking super tiny, very few inclusions that are still almost impossible to see under magnification. These diamonds are easily eye clean (which means they look flawless to the naked eye) and are very much an extremely high quality gem. I love every diamond, no matter the clarity, but these are some special stones for sure.
Very Slightly Included (VS1, VS2): Below our VVS diamonds are the VS1 and VS2 clarity grades. These are very slightly included diamonds which means their inclusions will be a tad larger than a VVS grade, but still very small and definitely not obvious at all. In fact, these tiny inclusions are still somewhat hard to see under magnification and the diamond itself will also appear eye clean. Eye clean is important to us in diamond buying because the diamond looks flawless without having the hefty price tag of that truly flawless stone.
Slightly Included (SI1, SI2): Next on our clarity scale are SI1 and SI2, or slightly included diamonds. As we move down with the clarity grade, the inclusions become larger. My helpful tip here is that some SI1 diamonds will look eye clean, and some will not. If you can find an SI1 eye clean diamond - then you are totally winning! However, SI2 stones will have visible inclusions, especially if you get up close and personal when looking at the gem. These are still beautiful diamonds though so don’t count them out!
Included (I1, I2, I3): The final (and lowest) of the clarity grades on our scale are I1, I2, and I3. These are included diamonds - meaning the inclusions are quite obvious at this level and…we could even potentially see fractures in these stones. The inclusions here will be the largest, darkest, and most numerous of any of the diamond clarities. And to be completely honest, I would not recommend buying an I2 or I3 diamond just because the durability of the stone could be in question. If you invest in a diamond you want to make sure it will be around for as long as you are!
Are VVS Diamond Earrings Necessary?
Okay so now that you have an idea of how the clarity grading scale works, we can discuss the allure of VVS diamond earrings. The reality of owning flawless or internally flawless diamonds is not something most of us will have the opportunity to do. They are just super rare and very pricey…but a VVS diamond is much more attainable (compared to a flawless one at least). Does that mean it is necessary to have VVS diamonds if we want flawless looking earrings? Nope!
In fact, now that we know some stuff about the clarity grades - you could opt for as low as SI1 diamonds and still have some pretty perfect looking diamond earrings. And even if you wanted to go a little lower on the clarity scale, no one is going to be close enough to your ear lobes to notice the difference anyways (unlike when people ask to see a diamond engagement ring). I really think there is no wrong clarity grade in this situation so go with what you feel comfortable with!
I have to say though that if you are someone who has the budget, the desire, and just happens to be a bougie individual - VVS diamond earrings would totally be the move…because at this point why not? Owning a VVS diamond, whether it is in a ring, necklace, earrings, or whatever - is something to be really excited about! I mean after all, these are nearly flawless, perfect gemstones.
So, let’s sum it up…the question is, are VVS diamond earrings necessary? Necessary? Probably not. Are they ridiculously awesome? Most definitely! Opting for a lower clarity grade can still give us those perfect looking diamond earrings without the higher VVS price tag. If you are in the market for a pair of stunningly beautiful diamond earrings, just know that basically all of our diamond clarities would be absolutely fabulous (so really, no pressure)!
