Diamond Clarity: I have viewed several GIA certificates. Some state "Additional clouds are not shown" under the COMMENTS section. What does this refer to? Are these other imperfections that buyers should be aware of? Or are they normal?
-- Chris B., Texas

In diamond terminology, a "cloud" is a collection of very tiny white inclusions clustered together. To show this on a plot would make it appear far more significant, so they are normally not drawn like larger inclusions. Clouds are not important by themselves, since they are only visible under high magnification and are already considered in the total clarity grade. This is standard procedure, quite common in diamonds, and not something you should worry about.

We have many such terms defined in our Glossary of Diamond Terms on the site. You can also go to the official GIA web site where they have a extensive, searchable glossary. We also list several other lab sites on our Consumer Resources page.

Robert Hensley
President
Diamond Helpers

[Keywords: clouds, plot, inclusions, clarity]

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