Education
What Is VVS Clarity? A Plain-English Guide to VVS1 and VVS2
If you have shopped for a diamond or a high-end gem, you have seen the letters VVS. They look mysterious, they usually come with a price premium, and most shoppers do not really know what they mean. VVS clarity is one of the most misunderstood terms in jewelry, and once you understand it, you will stop overpaying for grades you cannot actually see.
What Does VVS Stand For?
VVS stands for "very, very slightly included." It is a clarity grade used by the major gem labs, including the GIA, to describe diamonds that have tiny internal characteristics called inclusions. Those inclusions are so small that they are difficult for a trained grader to see under 10x magnification.
The clarity scale runs, in broad strokes, from Flawless (FL) and Internally Flawless (IF) at the top, down through VVS1 and VVS2, then VS1 and VS2, SI1 and SI2, and finally I1, I2, and I3 for stones with visible inclusions. VVS sits near the very top of that ladder.
VVS1 vs VVS2: What Is the Difference?
Within the VVS band there are two grades, and the difference between them is smaller than most people think.
- VVS1: Inclusions are extremely difficult to see under 10x magnification. They are usually small, well-placed, and easy for the grader to overlook on first inspection.
- VVS2: Inclusions are very difficult to see under 10x, but slightly easier to spot than in VVS1. They may be a touch larger, more numerous, or positioned closer to the surface.
In everyday wear, with the naked eye and without a loupe, the gap between VVS1 and VVS2 is essentially invisible. The price difference, however, is often very real. For most buyers, VVS2 offers almost all of the visual benefit of VVS1 at a meaningfully lower cost.
What Actually Counts as an Inclusion?
An inclusion is any internal feature inside a gemstone. It can be a tiny mineral crystal trapped as the stone grew, a feather (a small internal crack), a cloud of pinpoint dots, or a dark carbon spot. In natural diamonds, inclusions are literally the fingerprint of how the stone formed deep in the earth.
In lab-grown diamonds, inclusions are still possible, but they tend to look different. CVD stones may show faint growth lines or metallic flux inclusions in HPHT stones. The grading labs assess them on the same clarity principles, even though the origin is different.
Can You See VVS Inclusions With the Naked Eye?
This is the question that matters most. In almost all cases, no. VVS inclusions are defined by how hard they are to find under magnification, and they are well below the threshold of naked-eye visibility for a normal observer. Even under 10x magnification, a VVS inclusion is a tiny speck that you have to hunt for.
That means paying for VVS is, for most wearers, paying for a grade on a report rather than a visible improvement on the finger. If your stone is set in a ring with prongs or a halo, the visual difference between VVS and VS1 is even harder to detect.
Do You Actually Need VVS Clarity?
It depends on how you plan to use the stone.
You may want VVS if:
- You are buying a large diamond (over 2 carats) where smaller inclusions become more visible.
- You are buying a step-cut stone like emerald or asscher, where inclusions show up more easily through the open facets.
- You are a collector or investor and care about the grading label itself.
You probably do not need VVS if:
- You are buying a round brilliant stone under 2 carats, where the cut hides small inclusions well.
- You are on a budget and would rather put the money toward a better cut or a slightly larger carat weight.
- You will be wearing the stone daily rather than examining it under a loupe.
For most engagement ring buyers, a VS1 or even VS2 stone offers the best balance: clean to the naked eye, dramatically cheaper than VVS, and still considered "very slightly included" by gemology standards.
Does VVS Matter for Moissanite?
Here is a twist. Moissanite is usually sold with clarity descriptions that borrow diamond language, but the underlying material is different. Lab-grown moissanite is produced under controlled conditions, and high-quality commercial moissanite is typically very clean, with few visible inclusions. Many stones are effectively VVS-equivalent to the naked eye, without the diamond-grade price premium.
If you are comparing moissanite listings, do not get too caught up in the "VVS" label. Instead, look at real photos and ask whether the stone has any visible inclusions at normal viewing distance. Most reputable moissanite will be clean enough that the grade is academic.
What About VVS in Colored Stones?
Strictly speaking, the VVS terminology is a diamond clarity grade. Colored gemstones like sapphires, rubies, and emeralds are evaluated differently, often with more emphasis on how inclusions affect color and durability. When you see "VVS" applied to a colored gem, treat it as a loose marketing description rather than a formal lab grade.
How to Read a Clarity Plot
On many diamond reports, you will see a small diagram of the stone called a clarity plot. It marks the position and type of every inclusion the grader found. The plot is useful, but it can look scarier than reality. A diamond covered in red and green dots on paper may look perfectly clean on your finger, because those dots are tiny features hidden beneath the surface or tucked under prongs.
Use the plot as a sanity check, not as a verdict. If you see a large, dark inclusion near the center of the table, that is worth paying attention to. If the marks are small, near the girdle, or clustered under where a prong will sit, they are almost always irrelevant to the finished look.
If you are buying online and cannot inspect the stone in person, ask the seller for high-resolution photos of the actual stone you will receive, not a stock image. A real photo will show you exactly how clean the stone is to the naked eye, which is far more useful than the VVS label on its own. Reputable sellers are happy to provide this; if they refuse, that tells you something too.
Bottom Line
VVS means very, very slightly included. It describes a diamond with tiny inclusions that are hard to see even under magnification. VVS1 and VVS2 are very close in real appearance, and for most everyday jewelry, a VS grade will look just as clean on your finger while costing noticeably less. Understand the scale, look at real stones, and let your own eyes decide what "clean enough" means. You may find that you are perfectly happy spending the savings on cut, carat, or setting instead.
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Written By
Jewelry Forum Hub Team
Gemologists and setters at our own workshop. We have been cutting moissanite and lab grown stones since 2013.
