The Clarity of a Polished Emerald

Emerald is a type 3 gem, which means that it is almost always considered to have inclusions, where the type and frequency of these inclusions is the determining factor in judging the clarity of an emerald.

It is also widely recognized that inclusions in emeralds can also improve the appearance of a stone, so much so that the French refer to them as "gardens", which translates to a garden.

A stone considered "clean for the eyes" (inclusions are not easily visible to the naked eye) is extremely rare and still has a substantial bonus over other emeralds.

Although colored stone reports vary around the world, the GIA classification system for Type 3 gems below will contain a guide for those most familiar with the diamond grades.

VVS - inclusions usually visible at 10x magnification, clean with the naked eye.

VS - Obvious inclusions in 10x magnification, barely visible to the naked eye.

SI1 - Inclusions are visible to the naked eye.

SI2 - Inclusions very noticeable to the naked eye.

I1 - The inclusions begin to affect the return of light by the stone.

I2 - Inclusions started to have serious consequences on the durability or transparency of the stone.

I3 - Inclusions are now seriously affecting the transparency and durability of a stone.

DCL - Non-transparent