The Best Clarity Grades for Radiant Cut Diamond Rings

The best clarity grade for a radiant cut diamond is VS1 or better, but if you are on a tight budget opt for SI1. Some SI1 radiant cut diamonds have no visible clarity flaws because these features may be lightly colored or hidden at their edges. These diamonds will be considered eye-clean. Why?

Radiant cut diamonds have a complex arrangement of facets that makes them one of the most sparkly cuts on the market. This dazzling display can hide small clarity flaws that may be present in the gem. This is great news for shoppers working with a tight budget because you can purchase stones with a lower clarity grade. (Note, though, that clarity is different from color and carat weight considerations.)

What is Eye-Clean Clarity?

The clarity grading scale for diamonds has five general categories, but most shoppers only care about finding eye-clean gems. Eye-clean diamonds are gems that do not have any clarity flaws that can be seen with the naked eye. This distinction is important because gems with high clarity grades are more expensive than those with lower grades. Those wanting to make the most of their budget can save money by looking for gems with lower grades that are still eye-clean. (You can then allocate more budget towards your setting.)

The Best Clarity Grade for Radiant Cut Diamonds

The general rule for most diamonds is that anything with a grade of VS1 and higher you can assume is eye-clean. For radiant cut diamonds, you will can go down to a diamond with a clarity grade of SI1 because the sparkle of radiant cut diamonds hides flaws that might be noticeable in other cuts. If you're lucky, you may find an SI2 radiant cut diamond whose features are tucked away so they can't be seen without magnification. 

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^{The radiant cut diamond on the left has a clarity grade of SI1. It has some clarity features which are well hidden at the edges of the stone. The diamond on the right has a clarity grade of SI2 and does have some features which are eye-visible, but the sparkle pattern makes them difficult to spot.}