Diamond clarity is a term used to describe the absence or presence of flaws inside or on the surface of a diamond.

A perfect stone with perfect clarity, or clearness, is rare, and most flaws that do exist in jewelry grade diamonds cannot be seen without looking at the gems through a jeweler's magnifying loupe.

Most diamonds contain some inner flaws, or inclusions which are minerals or crystals trapped within the stone at the time it was formed.

The visibility, number and size of these inclusions determine what is called the clarity of a diamond. Inclusions include flaws such as air bubbles, cracks, scratches, pits, chips and non-diamond minerals found in the diamond.

Diamonds that are clear create more brilliance, and thus are more highly prized and priced. Diamonds are graded for clarity from F-flawless (diamonds which are completely free of inclusions), to I3 (diamonds which possess large, heavy inclusions that are visible to the naked eye. A diamond's clarity grade has an impact on the diamond's value, not on the unmagnified diamond's appearance.