The 6Cs of Sapphires by Brilliyond - C2.Clarity

The 4Cs of a diamond is an industry-accepted practise to grade, classify, and describe diamonds. Apart from these four properties, many other factors are considered when determining the quality of sapphires. Incorporating the two major factors which are heavily used in the sapphire trade, Brilliyond introduced the 6Cs of Sapphires for the first time in the industry. The second C is the Clarity of the Sapphire.

Sapphire clarity is another essential determining factor that has a major impact on a sapphire's price and value. Because sapphire forms in an environment that is rich in trace minerals, it is not surprising that some of these minerals can easily become trapped within the gemstone. These inclusions can, if visible to the naked eye, or make an uneven distribution of colour will degrade the value of the sapphire and if they do a unique formation called sapphire silk can give additional velvety lustre to the gemstone.

If a stone does not have any visible inclusions under 10X, 15X, or even 20X magnification, they are considered very valuable. The inclusions play a very important role in distinguishing natural sapphires and lab-created sapphires. Also, an experienced gemologist can find the country of origin based on the type of inclusions.