VS1 vs. VS2

Besides from the diamonds’ color, cut, and carat, clarity is also an aspect that’s measured very rigorously. There are some terms used to denote the clarity quality of these stones. Two of the most sought after clarities are the VS1 and VS2 grades. But how do these two grades differ? Which is better in terms of diamond clarity? To know more about this topic, continue to read.

Although a common person without any concrete knowledge about gems cannot easily see any visible difference between diamonds of very near clarity grades, prices still either drop or increase significantly as each diamond is graded lower or higher. In the simplest explanation, diamonds are graded between the highest class ‘“ FL (flawless category diamonds), and an I1 (included category diamonds). VS1 and VS2 diamonds are somewhere in between these two border grades.

Immediately lower than the VVS2 category, the VS (very slightly included diamond class) is divided into the VS1 and VS2. Clearly, the VS2 is the lower clarity grade compared to VS1. Both of these grades have inclusions (diamond impurities) that are hard to spot with the mere use of one’s eyes. Under 10x magnifying power though, it is fairly easy to spot the said impurities on these stones. Nevertheless, there are a few occasions where the VS2 can have some mildly visible inclusions, especially when dealing with larger stones. However, when the ordinary public looks at the difference between VS1 and VS2 using a magnifying glass, only some people can see the impurities on the VS1 diamond, whereas most or all people can immediately see the inclusions on a VS2 diamond.

Lastly, VS1 diamonds are given this higher mark as opposed to VS2 because their inclusions may be: Smaller, less in number, or are more hard to find (somewhat hidden at the corners or sides of the stone).

All in all,

1. The VS1 diamond category has fewer impurities compared to the VS2 class.
2. The VS2 class may have some visible inclusions to the naked eye, most especially when it comes to large cut diamonds, as opposed to the VS1 class wherein the inclusions are really hard to spot without the use of a lens or diamond grader.
3. With the use of an ordinary magnifying lens, more people can readily see impurities if the diamond is a VS2, whereas only a few untrained eyes can see the impurities in a VS1 stone by using such an instrument.

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