Lab Grown Diamond Guidance

Most people buying a diamond for the first time assume that higher clarity automatically means a better stone. It’s an understandable assumption — the grading scale runs from Flawless down to Included, and the instinct is to buy as high as you can afford. But somewhere between VVS1 and VS2 lies a decision that trips up even experienced buyers, and getting it wrong in either direction costs real money.

This article is about the middle of that clarity spectrum: VVS1, VVS2, VS1, and VS2. These four grades cover the range most serious buyers end up choosing from, and the differences between them matter — though probably not in the way you’d expect.

What the Grades Actually Mean

The GIA clarity scale has eleven grades total, running from Flawless (F) through Internally Flawless (IF), then Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2), Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2), down through Slightly Included and Included categories. Every grade below Flawless refers to some kind of internal characteristic — a crystal, feather, cloud, or pinpoint inclusion — that a trained grader observed under 10x magnification.

VVS1 is the highest of the four grades we’re comparing. Inclusions at this level are so minor that even experienced gemologists can find them difficult to locate under magnification. We’re talking about microscopic pinpoints or faint clouds that have essentially no impact on anything — not brilliance, not structural integrity, not appearance under any normal viewing condition.

VVS2 sits just below, and while inclusions are slightly more visible under 10x magnification than VVS1, they remain invisible to the naked eye. A gemologist might find them faster than in a VVS1, but a person wearing or admiring the ring won’t notice any difference whatsoever.

VS1 inclusions are minor characteristics that are somewhat easier to see at 10x magnification — though still difficult. The key phrase in GIA’s own definition is “difficult to see.” VS1 diamonds are eye-clean in virtually every case, meaning you will not see anything looking at the diamond normally, even with good lighting.

VS2 is where the grade starts to get more interesting. Inclusions are noticeable under magnification but generally not visible to the naked eye. In larger stones — say, above 2 carats — a VS2 inclusion might occasionally be visible if it’s centrally located and dark, but in most cut sizes and placements, the stone will still appear perfectly clean to anyone not holding a loupe to it.

The Naked Eye Test Is the Only Test That Matters in Real Life

Here’s something the grading certificates don’t tell you directly: nobody who admires your ring is going to look at it through a jeweler’s loupe. The person sitting across from you at dinner, your colleague in a meeting, the photographer at a wedding — they see your diamond with unaided eyes, typically at a distance of 30 centimeters or more, usually in mixed lighting.

Under those conditions, a VS2 and a VVS1 are indistinguishable to any human being without special equipment. This isn’t speculation — it’s the logical consequence of what “very slightly included” actually means. The inclusions that separate VS2 from VVS1 live entirely in the world of 10x magnification.

A common mistake is treating clarity grade as a proxy for overall diamond quality, and then over-spending on a VVS1 while buying a mediocre cut. Cut quality has a direct, visible impact on how much a diamond sparkles and how much light it returns to your eye. Clarity at the VVS or VS level does not. If you’re working with a fixed budget — and most buyers are — redirecting money from clarity to cut is almost always the better trade.

Price Differences Between the Grades

The price gap between these four grades is real and worth understanding before you buy. Within the same carat weight, color, and cut quality, moving from VS2 to VS1 typically adds 10–15% to the price. Moving from VS1 to VVS2 adds another 15–20%. And moving from VVS2 to VVS1 can add another 10–20% depending on the stone and the vendor.

So across the full span from VS2 to VVS1, you might be paying 35–50% more for a diamond that looks identical to the naked eye. In lab grown diamonds, where prices across the board are significantly lower than mined equivalents, this percentage premium still represents a meaningful difference in absolute rupees at the sizes most buyers are shopping.

For lab grown diamonds specifically — and this is a point worth dwelling on — the clarity premium is arguably even less justified than it is for mined diamonds. Because lab grown diamond quality standards and certification have matured considerably, VS2 and VS1 lab grown stones are consistently well-cut, well-certified, and beautiful. The manufacturing environment allows for better process control than natural formation, which tends to produce a higher proportion of cleaner stones overall.

Why VS2 Is Often the Sweet Spot

The “sweet spot” framing gets used so often in diamond buying guides that it’s almost become meaningless. But in this case it holds up to scrutiny.

VS2 delivers eye-clean appearance in the overwhelming majority of stones at typical engagement ring sizes (0.75 to 2 carats). It sits at the bottom of the “Very Slightly Included” category, which means inclusions are noticeable under magnification — but this fact affects only the gemologist doing the grading, not the person wearing the ring. The money saved compared to VS1, VVS2, or VVS1 can go toward a better cut grade, a higher color grade, or simply a larger carat weight.

There’s a practical caveat worth mentioning: at larger carat weights, the same inclusions that are invisible at 1 carat can become more apparent at 2.5 or 3 carats, simply because the stone has more surface area and inclusions are proportionally closer to the table. If you’re buying a lab grown stone above 2 carats, VS1 is probably worth considering. Below that, VS2 is almost always sufficient.

And it’s worth noting that stone shape matters too. Brilliant-cut shapes — round brilliants, cushions, ovals — mask inclusions better than step cuts like emerald or Asscher, because their facet patterns create more visual complexity and light movement. A VS2 in a round brilliant will look cleaner than the same grade in an emerald cut, where the broad, mirror-like facets make everything more visible.

What VVS Diamonds Are Actually For

This might seem like a deflation of the VVS grades, but it’s more of a clarification. VVS1 and VVS2 diamonds are not pointless — they serve specific purposes.

Collectors and buyers focused on resale potential often prefer VVS stones because the grade holds its standing more reliably on paper. If someone is buying a diamond with an eye toward future value, a VVS2 certificate is a more compelling document than a VS2, regardless of what either stone looks like. The lab diamond investment value and market perception question is a separate and complicated one, but for buyers who think in those terms, clarity grade is part of the equation.

VVS stones are also appropriate for certain jewelry types where the diamond is viewed in different contexts — large solitaires that will be scrutinized closely, or diamonds set in styles that present the stone from multiple angles with high exposure. For a 3-carat emerald cut lab grown diamond set in a six-prong solitaire that will be photographed frequently and examined closely, VVS2 or VS1 is a reasonable choice. For a 1-carat round brilliant in a pavé band — probably VS2.

How Elevé’s Grading Standards Work in Practice

At Elevé Diamonds, every lab grown stone is certified by a recognized independent gemological laboratory — the certificates accurately reflect the clarity grade, cut quality, color, and carat weight of each individual stone. This matters because clarity grading can vary slightly between labs, and a VS1 from one lab might not be graded the same way at another.

When you’re selecting a stone from Elevé’s collection, the certification gives you a reliable baseline. The team sources premium CVD and HPHT lab grown diamonds — if you’re curious about the difference between those processes, the HPHT vs CVD manufacturing comparison covers it in detail — and the grading reflects the same standards applied to mined diamonds.

The practical guidance Elevé offers buyers is consistent: for most engagement ring purposes and most carat sizes, VS1 and VS2 represent the best combination of quality and value in lab grown diamonds. VVS grades are available for buyers who want them, but the recommendation is based on what actually matters in the finished piece, not on which number looks more impressive on paper.

The Comparison That Actually Helps

Rather than ranking these four grades from worst to best, it’s more useful to think of them as fitting different buyer profiles:

VS2: Best choice for buyers who want maximum value, plan to buy a round brilliant or other brilliant-cut shape, are shopping in the 0.75 to 2 carat range, and care more about how the diamond looks than what the certificate says. This covers a large majority of buyers.

VS1: Appropriate for buyers stepping up in carat size (above 2 carats), choosing a step-cut shape that shows inclusions more readily, or who want a slight buffer above VS2 without the premium of VVS.

VVS2: Worth the premium for buyers with very large stones, significant budgets, or specific preferences for high-clarity certification — or those buying step cuts at larger sizes.

VVS1: Suited to collectors, buyers focused on provenance and documentation, very large statement pieces, or anyone for whom the certificate itself is part of the value.

A Note on Color and Cut in Relation to Clarity

If you’re reading this and thinking about where clarity fits into the overall buying decision, it’s worth understanding the full picture. How to choose a lab grown diamond and maximise its benefits goes deeper on the four C’s and how to balance them, but the short version is this: cut quality determines how much light the diamond returns to your eye, and it’s the C that most directly affects beauty. Color affects the warmth or coolness of the stone. Clarity, at VS2 or above, is largely invisible in real-world conditions.

Most buyers who end up disappointed with a diamond purchased by prioritizing clarity made a trade-off they didn’t fully understand at the time — they bought a VVS1 in a lower cut grade when a VS2 in an Excellent cut would have been significantly more beautiful in person.

The decision is yours, and the answer depends on what matters most to you. But if eye-level beauty at a sensible price is the goal, VS1 and VS2 in lab grown diamonds from a certified source give you most of what VVS promises — at a fraction of the premium.