There are many factors that go into a jeweler deciding how much each of their diamond engagement rings are going to cost. Some of those are easy for customers to see, such as engagement rings that are completely alike except for the overall size of the diamond, but several others are almost impossible to notice and cannot be seen with the naked eye. One of these determining factors is the clarity of the diamonds being used in the diamond engagement rings.   Amidon Jewelers - Put us to the test   The clarity of diamonds is divided into two categories, blemishes and inclusions. Blemishes are any imperfections that are visible on the surface of the diamond and can be naturally occurring grain boundaries and dark spots as well as cuts and nicks from the cutting process. Inclusions are imperfections that happen inside of the diamond – some jewelers prefer the term “internal characteristics” when grading diamonds – and almost always are naturally occurring imperfections.   Depending on where a diamond falls on the scale of clarity affects the value of the diamond engagement rings they are part of. All of the grading is done in a controlled environment of 10 times magnification and dark field illumination. There are six categories ranging from flawless to included, with several sub-categories in between. By using differently graded diamonds while designing engagement rings, this allows jewelers to offer the same style ring at varying prices, thereby helping everyone get the diamond engagement rings of their dreams while staying within their budget.   It is important to remember that all of the clarity grades are determined by looking at the diamonds through 10 times magnification. Any diamonds that have inclusions visible to the naked eye are not used for diamond engagement rings but rather relegated to industrial use. Only one out of every five diamonds is considered to be of a high enough quality to be used in engagement rings and other fine jewelry.   Clarity is one of the four C’s jewelers use as part of the way to determine the value of diamond engagement rings, the other three being cut, color and carat. Understanding the difference in the clarity of the engagement rings can help you make an informed purchase by spending the appropriate amount of money while still having an engagement ring that looks perfectly flawless to the naked eye. Only you and the jeweler will know the difference.