VVS stands for Very Very Slightly Included — graded under 10x magnification in a controlled laboratory setting. But what does a VVS inclusion actually look like under a loupe? And what does this grade mean for a diamond you will wear on your finger?
The 10x Standard
Every GIA and IGI clarity grade is determined at 10x magnification using a standard jeweler's loupe or binocular microscope. The grader examines the stone under controlled, neutral lighting and documents any inclusions or blemishes visible at that magnification. Inclusions visible only above 10x are not graded. Inclusions requiring less than 10x to see push the stone into SI or Included territory.
The 10x standard has been used since the GIA introduced clarity grading in 1953. It is the universal reference point for all clarity grades across all certifying labs.
What VVS Looks Like Under the Loupe
Get Our Honest Lab Diamond Buyer's Guide
What jewelers don't want you to know — 20 years in the SEEPZ diamond district, in a free PDF. No upsell. No spam.
Guide is on its way — check your inbox.
A VVS1 diamond has inclusions that are extremely difficult to find even for a trained grader at 10x. The inclusions in VVS1 stones are visible only from the pavilion (bottom) face of the stone — flip it face down under the loupe and search carefully. Common VVS1 inclusions include:
- Pinpoints — single carbon or metallic particles so small they appear as a dot only at specific focus depths
- Needles — thin elongated crystals within the carbon lattice, often less than 0.01mm in length
- Growth lines — in CVD lab-grown diamonds, faint parallel lines from the layer-by-layer growth process; essentially invisible under typical examination
- Clouds — very faint concentrations of microscopic pinpoints that form a hazy area; in VVS1, these are extremely diffuse
A VVS2 inclusion is visible from the crown (top) face of the stone under 10x but still requires deliberate searching. A skilled grader should be able to locate it within a minute of careful examination.
What VS Looks Like Under the Loupe
VS1 inclusions are somewhat easier to find under 10x than VVS2, but still require a loupe and focused attention. VS2 inclusions are minor but visible to a grader in a reasonable examination time — typically locatable within 30 seconds by a trained grader.
The practical difference between VVS and VS under the loupe: in VVS, you are hunting. In VS2, you are locating. Neither is visible to the naked eye in any realistic condition.
The Naked-Eye Reality
This is the fact the clarity grading system obscures: everything from Flawless down through VS2 is completely invisible to the naked eye in any real-world condition — daylight, indoor lighting, on a ring or in a pair of earrings. The inclusions are there. You cannot see them without a loupe. The person across from you cannot see them. Your jeweler will not see them when they clean your ring.
The 10x grade is documentation of what exists at laboratory magnification. It is not a proxy for visual quality in normal wear.
SI1 is where the line becomes blurry: many SI1 stones are eye-clean, but some — particularly those with inclusions positioned near the center table of the stone — can be visible without magnification. SI2 and below introduce real risk of visible inclusions.
Why VVS Commands a Premium
VVS carries a price premium over VS for two reasons: documentation value and sourcing precision.
Documentation value: The certificate states VVS. For buyers who will show the certificate to family, for resale, or for whom the grade is part of the emotional value of the purchase, VVS documentation means something beyond the physical stone.
Sourcing precision: Specifying VVS+ at the crystal stage — before the stone goes to a grading lab — means the producer selected for quality at the growth phase. This is different from submitting commodity stones and taking whatever grade comes back. At StudsDirect, our SEEPZ sourcing network lets us specify VVS+ at the crystal stage rather than buying grade-lottery at the commodity level. The result is stones that are consistently in the upper range of the VVS tier, not at the borderline.
What to Ask For When Buying
If you want to see the difference yourself, any legitimate jeweler will let you examine stones under a loupe before purchase. Ask to see a VVS2 and a VS1 side by side under 10x. Take the loupe away and look at both with your naked eye. The exercise is instructive: you will quickly confirm that the naked-eye appearance is identical, and you will develop a real understanding of what the grade difference actually means.
The practical recommendation: VVS2 or VS1 are both excellent choices for buyers who want eye-clean, certified quality. If the certificate grade matters for its own sake — or if you want the assurance that comes with sourcing precision — VVS is worth the premium at current lab-grown prices.
Every stone we sell is VVS+ and IGI certified. See the full collection — or continue with our guides on IGI vs GIA grading and the complete VVS vs VS clarity comparison.