A short line in Comments can matter more than the big clarity grade. Read it before you get attached to a stone. Then ask what the comment means for this particular diamond.
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Read the full report
Read the exact words, then inspect the diamond.
For a natural diamond, start with GIA. Pull up the full report, not a retailer's abbreviated grade box. GIA explains that some clarity characteristics are not plotted and appear in Comments. The plot is a map, not a complete photograph of every feature.
Report comments and the next useful inspection question
Report clue
What I ask for
Why I pause
Clouds or internal graining referenced in Comments
A clean stone in diffuse light, plus a clear close view.
Transparency is a visual question. A tidy plot does not answer it.
Additional features not shown
The full report and an explanation of the unplotted features.
A blank spot on the plot does not mean there is nothing there.
Surface reaching feature or treatment language
The exact location, written disclosure, and a qualified inspection.
Durability and treatment affect the buying decision and later care.
Inscription details
A clear inscription view and a match to the stone's measurements.
A report number by itself cannot prove identity.
Use this table to work out what to ask next. Read the exact comment. Some are routine. Others need a closer look at the actual stone.
Appearance in ordinary light
Clouds and graining need a transparency check.
The question is not whether the report says VS2 or SI1. The question is whether the stone looks lively and crisp when it moves outside intense spotlights. Ask for the actual diamond under diffuse light. Compare it with another stone shot the same way. If the seller cannot show you clearly, do not give the stone a pass.
What the report gives you
A grade, a plotted map when included, and written comments. Use them to name the question.
What the actual stone must show
Crisp appearance and useful light return as it moves in diffuse light. Compare it with a clean comparison stone filmed the same way.
A cloud is a group of tiny inclusions.
Those tiny dots are pinpoints. Group enough together and you get a cloud. This magnified GIA image shows the feature, but a cloud comment alone does not tell you whether your diamond looks hazy. I want to see the actual stone in diffuse light.
Same feature. Three positions. These are GIA’s 21× views through the bottom of a diamond. The highlighted graining becomes obvious in the middle, then fades as the stone moves. GIA said it did not affect the clarity grade in this example. Ask for movement before treating one frame as the full story.
Three microscope views at 21× show the same diamond through its pavilion. In the highlighted rectangle the graining is subtle on the left, more obvious in the middle, and disappears after a further slight movement on the right. GIA states that graining behaving this way would not affect the clarity grade in this example. This historical illustration shows why the examiner considers movement and viewing angle rather than judging from a single photograph.
Clarity and condition
Name the inclusion and find its position.
If the report or plot names a bruise, chip, cavity, knot, etched channel, or indented natural, ask where it sits. A feature near a girdle, point, or setting contact deserves a closer look. The presence of a term does not decide the outcome by itself. Size, position, relief, and the finished setting change the risk.
The clarity plot guide helps you find the feature. A photograph and a qualified inspection tell you what the plot cannot: whether the feature is visible, open to the surface, or a durability concern.
Get the feature checked on the actual stone.
I want the examiner to find the exact feature, not just read out the grade. GIA graders use a microscope to check internal and surface clarity characteristics. Ask where the feature sits and what that position means for the setting. This photograph shows an examination, not a finding about your stone.
Full report, including Comments and the clarity plot.
The listing, stock number, and asking price.
Actual video in useful light and a close view of the named feature.
Return eligibility and time for a qualified inspection.
Buyer questions
Your questions, answered
Is a GIA comment a reason to reject a diamond?
No. I want to see what the comment means on that stone. If there is a real problem, I pass. If the seller cannot show us enough to decide, I keep looking.
Why does the plot look clean when Comments mention features?
GIA does not plot every feature. Some are too widespread or faint, or are not needed to support the grade or identify the stone. Read the plot and Comments together.
Can I decide from the report alone?
Not if the comment raises an appearance or durability question. Send the full report and the actual video, then inspect the exact stone while you still have a return option.
Another set of eyes
Bring the stone. Bring the question.
Send the listing, full report, asking price, and the part that does not add up. We will help you decide what to check next.
Natural diamond report guide
GIA Report Comments That Deserve a Closer Look
A short line in Comments can matter more than the big clarity grade. Read it before you get attached to a stone. Then ask what the comment means for this particular diamond.
Book your free consultation↗Your consultation is free. Retailers can pay us a commission on qualifying referrals at no extra cost to you. Read how referrals work.
Read the full report
Read the exact words, then inspect the diamond.
For a natural diamond, start with GIA. Pull up the full report, not a retailer's abbreviated grade box. GIA explains that some clarity characteristics are not plotted and appear in Comments. The plot is a map, not a complete photograph of every feature.
Use this table to work out what to ask next. Read the exact comment. Some are routine. Others need a closer look at the actual stone.
Appearance in ordinary light
Clouds and graining need a transparency check.
The question is not whether the report says VS2 or SI1. The question is whether the stone looks lively and crisp when it moves outside intense spotlights. Ask for the actual diamond under diffuse light. Compare it with another stone shot the same way. If the seller cannot show you clearly, do not give the stone a pass.
What the report gives you
A grade, a plotted map when included, and written comments. Use them to name the question.
What the actual stone must show
Crisp appearance and useful light return as it moves in diffuse light. Compare it with a clean comparison stone filmed the same way.
A cloud is a group of tiny inclusions.
Those tiny dots are pinpoints. Group enough together and you get a cloud. This magnified GIA image shows the feature, but a cloud comment alone does not tell you whether your diamond looks hazy. I want to see the actual stone in diffuse light.
Watch the graining as the stone moves.
Same feature. Three positions. These are GIA’s 21× views through the bottom of a diamond. The highlighted graining becomes obvious in the middle, then fades as the stone moves. GIA said it did not affect the clarity grade in this example. Ask for movement before treating one frame as the full story.
Three microscope views at 21× show the same diamond through its pavilion. In the highlighted rectangle the graining is subtle on the left, more obvious in the middle, and disappears after a further slight movement on the right. GIA states that graining behaving this way would not affect the clarity grade in this example. This historical illustration shows why the examiner considers movement and viewing angle rather than judging from a single photograph.
Clarity and condition
Name the inclusion and find its position.
If the report or plot names a bruise, chip, cavity, knot, etched channel, or indented natural, ask where it sits. A feature near a girdle, point, or setting contact deserves a closer look. The presence of a term does not decide the outcome by itself. Size, position, relief, and the finished setting change the risk.
The clarity plot guide helps you find the feature. A photograph and a qualified inspection tell you what the plot cannot: whether the feature is visible, open to the surface, or a durability concern.
Get the feature checked on the actual stone.
I want the examiner to find the exact feature, not just read out the grade. GIA graders use a microscope to check internal and surface clarity characteristics. Ask where the feature sits and what that position means for the setting. This photograph shows an examination, not a finding about your stone.
At the desk
Read the report in an order that leads to a decision.
Here is a made up comparison, not a client case. Both stones are GIA VS2 rounds with similar cut grades.
An edge crystal with a clear view.
The seller shows the exact feature and useful video. Check its size, position, and visibility.
A cloud comment with missing evidence.
The report leaves a transparency question. Get a diffuse light view before treating the two stones as price peers.
Your next move
Send the whole report and the actual stone video.
A cropped grade box leaves out exactly the line we need. Send the full record to Josh or me and tell us what worries you.
Buyer questions
Your questions, answered
Is a GIA comment a reason to reject a diamond?
No. I want to see what the comment means on that stone. If there is a real problem, I pass. If the seller cannot show us enough to decide, I keep looking.
Why does the plot look clean when Comments mention features?
GIA does not plot every feature. Some are too widespread or faint, or are not needed to support the grade or identify the stone. Read the plot and Comments together.
Can I decide from the report alone?
Not if the comment raises an appearance or durability question. Send the full report and the actual video, then inspect the exact stone while you still have a return option.
Another set of eyes
Bring the stone. Bring the question.
Send the listing, full report, asking price, and the part that does not add up. We will help you decide what to check next.