All comparisons > Grades & Buying
VS1 Clarity
Safe sight-unseen
VS
SI1 Clarity
The bargain, with homework
VS1 vs SI1 Clarity
Both can look identical on a hand. One is safe to buy blind, the other rewards buyers who do twenty minutes of homework.
Best for buying without inspection: VS1Best for value per dollar: SI1
| VS1 Clarity | SI1 Clarity | |
|---|---|---|
| What the grade means | Very slight inclusions, hard to find even magnified | Slight inclusions, visible under magnification |
| Eye-clean odds | Effectively always | Often, not always; the exact stone decides |
| Price | The premium for certainty | Noticeably cheaper at the same size and color |
| Buying method | Safe from the report alone | Demands HD video or in-person inspection of the exact stone |
| Step cuts (emerald, asscher) | Comfortable | Risky; open tables expose inclusions |
| Resale story | Marginally better paper | Nobody resells on clarity anyway |
Pick vs1 clarity if
- You are buying from the report without video
- The shape is a step cut that hides nothing
- Peace of mind is worth the increment
Pick si1 clarity if
- The seller shows real HD video of the exact stone
- The shape is a brilliant that scatters flaws
- You would rather put the savings into cut or size
The eye-clean rule is the whole game
Clarity grades describe what a grader sees at ten-power magnification. Hands at dinner parties operate at zero-power. The only question that matters is whether a flaw is visible to a naked eye at normal distance, and a good SI1 passes that test while costing well under the VS grades.
Where the flaw sits matters
An inclusion under a prong or near the edge disappears forever; the same flaw dead center under the table is a roommate she will eventually spot. This is precisely what stone video exists for. Twenty minutes of looking saves real money or real regret, sometimes both.