VVS Diamonds Explained: VVS1 vs VVS2 and Is It Worth It?

The VVS clarity grade sits just below Flawless and Internally Flawless on the GIA diamond grading scale — a position that carries a significant price premium over the VS grades below it. Whether that premium is rational depends entirely on what you're buying, what cut you've chosen, and what the stone will be used for. For most buyers in most situations, the VVS premium is not justified by anything visible in normal wearing conditions. For a specific set of buyers and use cases, it is exactly right. This guide tells you which category you're in.

What VVS Actually Means

VVS stands for Very Very Slightly Included. On the GIA clarity scale, it occupies positions three and four from the top, below Flawless (FL) and Internally Flawless (IF) and above Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2). A VVS diamond contains inclusions — internal characteristics formed during the diamond's growth — but these inclusions are so minor that they are extremely difficult to locate even under 10x magnification by a trained grader. The GIA describes VVS inclusions as "minute" and states that they are difficult for even a skilled grader to see under standard loupe magnification.

This is the fact that makes the VVS premium difficult to justify for most buyers: if a trained gemologist with a 10x loupe has difficulty finding the inclusions, the inclusions are not visible to you, your partner, or anyone looking at the ring in normal lighting conditions. You are paying for a grade that exists in laboratory conditions and nowhere else.

VVS1 vs VVS2: What's the Difference?

VVS is divided into two sub-grades — VVS1 and VVS2 — that reflect the difficulty of finding the inclusion under magnification and its position within the stone.

VVS1 is the higher grade. In a VVS1 diamond, the inclusions are so minute and so well-positioned — typically near the girdle or in a location obscured by a facet — that even an experienced grader looking through the crown of the stone has significant difficulty locating them under 10x magnification. VVS1 inclusions might include a single tiny pinpoint, an extremely faint cloud, or a minor naturalistic feature on the surface of the stone. These are inclusions that exist on paper — on the GIA report — rather than in any observable reality for the buyer.

VVS2 is the lower of the two sub-grades. The inclusions in a VVS2 diamond are still extremely difficult to locate under 10x magnification but are slightly more findable than VVS1 — typically because they are positioned closer to the center of the stone or because there are marginally more of them. A skilled grader looking through the crown of the stone can usually locate a VVS2 inclusion under 10x magnification, though it takes effort and concentration. VVS2 inclusions remain completely invisible to the naked eye and to any casual observation.

The practical difference between VVS1 and VVS2 in a finished piece of jewelry is zero. Both grades are eye-clean. Both grades are invisible under any magnification likely to be used outside a gemological laboratory. The price difference between VVS1 and VVS2 — which can be several hundred to several thousand dollars on a one-carat stone of comparable color and cut — reflects the grading distinction rather than any observable difference in appearance.

VVS vs VS: The Comparison That Actually Matters for Most Buyers

The more relevant comparison for most diamond buyers is not VVS1 versus VVS2 but VVS versus VS — specifically VVS2 versus VS2, which is the choice most buyers face when they are considering whether to spend more for higher clarity.

VS2 diamonds are eye-clean in virtually all brilliant cut formats under two carats. This is the critical fact. A VS2 inclusion in a round brilliant, oval, cushion, or pear diamond is invisible to the naked eye — and in most cases, invisible even under casual loupe inspection by someone who is not a trained grader. The VS2 grade indicates that inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification but minor. In a well-cut brilliant, these inclusions are typically obscured by the stone's own light return, making them difficult to find even with a loupe.

The premium for VVS2 over VS2 on a one-carat D color stone in excellent cut typically runs to $2,000–$5,000 depending on the specific stones being compared. This is money that buys an improvement in a laboratory grade — not an improvement in how the diamond looks on a hand, in a photograph, or in any lighting condition a wearer is likely to encounter.

The rational question is not "should I get VVS instead of VS?" but "what do I gain from paying the VVS premium?" For most buyers in most use cases — engagement rings, wedding bands, fashion jewelry — the answer is: nothing visible. The budget difference between VS2 and VVS2 is better spent on cut quality, which is the factor that actually determines how a diamond looks.

When VVS Is the Right Choice

There are specific situations where VVS clarity is the correct choice, and they are worth understanding precisely because they are not the situations most buyers imagine they are in.

Step-cut diamonds — emerald cuts and Asscher cuts — are the category where clarity grade matters most. Unlike brilliant cuts, which use many small facets to scatter and reflect light in ways that obscure inclusions, step cuts have large open facets that act more like windows into the stone than mirrors. An inclusion that is completely invisible in a round brilliant may be visible in an emerald cut of the same clarity grade, because the step-cut facets allow direct visual access to the interior of the stone. For emerald cuts and Asscher cuts above one carat, moving up to VS1 or VVS2 is a genuine improvement in appearance, not just a grade on paper. This is the one context where the clarity premium is visually justified.

Collectors and investors purchasing diamonds as assets rather than jewelry are another legitimate VVS buyer. At the highest levels of the market — D Flawless and D VVS1 stones above three carats — the clarity grade has a direct and significant effect on resale value and on the stone's ability to transact in the secondary market. Buyers who are acquiring diamonds as stores of value, rather than as jewelry, may rationally prioritize VVS grades because the certificate is what the secondary market prices.

Large stones — above three carats — are a third context. As carat weight increases, the table facet of a brilliant cut diamond becomes larger in absolute terms, and inclusions that would be completely obscured in a smaller stone may become marginally more visible. The exact threshold varies by cut and individual stone, but above three carats, moving from VS2 to VS1 or VVS2 becomes more defensible than it is for sub-two-carat stones.

VVS Diamond Price: What You're Actually Paying For

VVS diamond pricing is driven by the GIA grade, not by observable quality. This sounds obvious but has practical implications that many buyers don't fully appreciate when they're comparing stones at different clarity grades.

On a one-carat D Excellent cut round brilliant, the approximate wholesale price difference between grades runs roughly like this: Flawless commands the highest premium, typically 20–30% above VVS1. VVS1 carries a 10–20% premium over VVS2. VVS2 carries a 15–25% premium over VS1. VS1 carries a modest premium over VS2. Below VS2, the increment narrows until inclusions become visible, at which point price drops more sharply.

What this means in practice: the buyer who moves from VS2 to VVS2 on a one-carat stone of comparable color and cut is paying a premium in the range of several thousand dollars for a grade that produces no visible difference in the stone. That money could instead purchase a larger stone of VS2 quality, a better cut within the same VS2 grade, a higher color grade, or simply stay in the buyer's pocket. In most cases, any of those alternatives produces a better outcome than the clarity upgrade.

The one context where VVS pricing is rational at any size is in a D Flawless or D VVS1 stone above two carats purchased as an investment. At that level, the grade drives the secondary market price directly, and the premium paid at purchase reflects a real asset attribute rather than a laboratory distinction of no visible consequence.

VVS and the Major Houses

When you purchase diamond jewelry from a major house — Harry Winston, Graff, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels — the clarity grade of the stone is often not explicitly marketed, which reflects these houses' understanding of their own quality standards. Harry Winston famously selects stones that meet his own criteria beyond what a GIA grade can capture, which means a VS2 stone in a Harry Winston setting is typically a VS2 at the top of the range — positioned closer to VS1 in practice even if it grades VS2 on the certificate.

Graff's approach is similar. The house's internal selection standards mean that the diamonds set in Graff jewelry are not representative of the full range of what a given clarity grade encompasses. A Graff VS2 is not the same purchase as an unsigned VS2 from a commodity supplier. The house name indicates quality within the grade, not just the grade itself.

For buyers of pre-owned diamond jewelry from major houses, this matters because the GIA certificate accompanying a piece from Winston or Graff should be read with the understanding that the house's procurement standards have already filtered for quality within the grade. The VS2 in the pre-owned Graff pendant is a different stone from a VS2 sold without that context. Our team assesses the stone quality in every pre-owned piece we list, not just the certificate grade, and discloses our assessment in the listing.

The Practical Buying Framework

If you are buying a round brilliant, oval, cushion, or pear diamond under two carats for a ring or pendant, VS2 is the rational clarity choice. It is eye-clean, it will not show inclusions in any normal wearing or viewing condition, and the money you save over VVS can meaningfully improve the cut, color, or carat weight of the stone. Prioritize Excellent cut above all other factors, then G-H color, then VS2 clarity. That combination produces the best visible result for the budget in virtually every case.

If you are buying an emerald cut or Asscher cut, tighten the clarity to VS1 or VVS2 and pay attention to the specific inclusion position and type on the certificate. The open facets of step cuts reward the clarity investment in ways that brilliant cuts do not. Ask to see photographs or video of the specific stone — not just the certificate — because two VS1 stones can look very different in a step cut depending on where the inclusions sit.

If you are buying above three carats or purchasing as an investment, VVS is more defensible. But the decision should still be driven by the specific stone rather than the grade category alone. A VVS2 with poor cut is a worse purchase than a VS1 with Excellent cut at every level of the market.

For pre-owned diamond jewelry from major houses, let the house's own quality standards and the specific listing details guide you more than the GIA grade in isolation. The combination of house name, condition, hallmarks, and certificate tells a more complete story than any single factor.

Related Reading

VS2 Diamond Clarity: What It Really Means  ·  How to Tell If a Diamond Is Real  ·  Why Are Diamonds So Expensive?  ·  The Most Expensive Diamonds Ever Sold  ·  Harry Winston Diamond Jewelry  ·  Graff Diamond Jewelry