Guides
VS1 and VS2 are neighbors on the clarity scale. Both are very slightly included. The difference is how easy the inclusions are to see at 10×, not a different kind of diamond.
VS1 inclusions are minor and harder for a grader to find. VS2 inclusions are still minor and a little easier to find under magnification. Neither grade means the stone looks broken or cloudy.
Face-up, without a loupe, most people cannot separate a VS1 from a VS2 in a well-cut round. The cases that fail are dark inclusions in obvious places, and those show up on video in either grade.
The report’s plot, when you have it, is more useful than the one-step grade change. A VS2 with a pinpoint near the girdle is a quieter stone than a VS1 with a crystal under the table.
Read type, size, and position. Then look at the diamond. The plot is a map. The video is the stone.
VS1 costs more than VS2 at the same carat and color. On natural diamonds that premium is often large relative to what you see. On lab-grown diamonds the premium is smaller, and it can still be money spent on a difference you will not notice once the ring is on.
Pay for VS1 when the VS2 stone in front of you has an inclusion you can already see, or when you simply want the higher grade on the certificate. Do not pay for it as a default.
Set clarity to VS2 and better, shortlist by cut and color, and only step up to VS1 if a specific stone needs it. Compare the two grades in the same carat band so the price gap is visible.
Carat Mate’s VS1 vs VS2 guide is the short version of this page. The listings are where the premium either shows up in the image or does not.
Carat Mate lists certified loose diamonds for shoppers in the United States, Canada, the UAE, London, and Australia. Prices are in USD everywhere. We ship to the United States, Canada, the UAE, London, and Australia.
