VVS diamonds: what the grade means

VVS is two grades on the GIA clarity scale, VVS1 and VVS2, sitting just below Internally Flawless. It is also a word that escaped the lab. In rap lyrics and on jewelry sites it now means "expensive looking ice", and it gets printed on moissanite, lab diamonds and pieces nobody ever graded. This page covers both meanings: what the grade really says about a diamond, and what it says when a seller uses it as decoration.

What VVS means

GIA grades clarity by what a skilled grader sees with 10x magnification. Its wording for each band is short, and the gap between VVS and VS is one of effort, not visibility to you.

The full ladder with all eleven grades lives in our diamond clarity chart. What matters here is the GIA line from its own VVS vs VS article: in almost all cases, the clarity features in VVS and VS diamonds cannot be seen with the naked eye. You are paying for what a microscope sees.

VVS1 vs VVS2

The 1 and the 2 split the band. Both are VVS, both look identical face up. The difference is where the tiny inclusion sits and how hard it is to find.

If you are going to buy VVS at all, VVS2 is the one. You get the label, the certificate line and a stone that is clean under any loupe a jeweler is likely to hand you. VVS1 adds money for a difference two graders can argue about.

What VVS costs over VS

Clarity premiums are steepest where color is highest, because the rare stones stack. GIA's VVS vs VS article, quoting a 2023 wholesale price sheet, gives two reference points for a 1.00 carat stone:

In money, on a G color carat that is usually a few hundred to over a thousand dollars that buys nothing you can see. On a D color stone it can be several thousand. Use our diamond price calculator to see how clarity moves the estimate for your own size and color.

When VVS is worth paying for

Step cuts

Emerald and Asscher cuts have big open facets and a large table. They show the inside of the stone like a window. GIA notes that step cuts look best at higher clarity grades. A VS2 that is invisible in a round can be visible in an emerald cut of the same size. Here, VVS2 or a carefully chosen VS1 is money well spent.

Large stones

Inclusions scale with the stone. Above 2 carats, a VS2 inclusion has more room to be seen, so clarity starts to matter for looks, not just for paper.

When the grade is the point

Some buyers want a top grade for its own sake, or plan to hold a stone as a store of value. That is a reasonable choice. Just be clear that it is symbolic. GIA says the same thing in softer words.

When it is not

A round brilliant under 2 carats hides inclusions well, because its faceting breaks light into many small flashes. For that stone, VS1 or VS2 looks the same, and an eye clean SI1 often does too. The comparison of those lower grades is in SI1 vs VS2, and the grade just below VVS gets its own page in VS1 diamonds.

"VVS" on moissanite and fashion jewelry

Search for VVS jewelry and most results are not diamonds. Chains, grills and studs sold as "VVS" are usually moissanite or cubic zirconia. In that context VVS is a mood word. It means the stones are supposed to look clean and bright.

• Moissanite. Sellers borrow the diamond clarity scale for moissanite, and most of it is marketed as VVS or VS. There is no independent standard behind those labels like GIA grading for diamonds. The paper that ships with it is usually a GRA card, covered in our GRA moissanite guide.
• Cubic zirconia. Lab grown CZ is often flawless inside, so a "VVS" claim is easy to make and means nothing about value. See diamond vs cubic zirconia.
• Lab grown diamonds. These are real diamonds and get graded by IGI and GIA on the same scale. Here VVS is a real grade, and it is far cheaper than in natural stones.

The FTC Jewelry Guides (16 CFR 23.1) call it unfair or deceptive to misrepresent the grade or quality of a jewelry product. "VVS" with no lab name and no report number is a sales description, not a grade. If a piece is sold as VVS diamond, ask for the GIA or IGI report and check the number on the lab's website.

How to check a VVS claim

For the last row, start with how to tell if a diamond is real. A moissanite will pass a basic thermal tester, so do not stop at one pen.

Our take

VVS is a real grade that describes something you will never see. On a round diamond under 2 carats, put that money into cut or carat instead and buy VS or an eye clean SI1. On an emerald or Asscher cut, buy VVS2. Skip VVS1 unless the grade itself is what you want. And when VVS shows up on moissanite or a chain, read it as a style word, not a quality certificate.

Worth being clear: everything here, and the app itself, is an educational reference. At-home tests narrow things down, they do not certify a stone. Before you buy, sell or insure anything of real value, get it looked at by a certified gemologist or an independent appraiser.