Quick answer
VVS1 moissanite has "very, very slightly included" clarity: any tiny inclusions are hard for a trained grader to find even at 10x magnification, and invisible to your eye. D color is the top of the color scale, with no detectable tint. D color, VVS1 sits near the top of both scales, and it is the grade of every white Daellia stone.
Moissanite sellers borrow the language of diamond grading: letters for color, abbreviations for clarity. The terms sound technical, but each one maps to something simple. How much tint can you see? How many tiny marks does a grader find under a loupe? Here is what each grade means, what your eye actually picks up, and where the grade really matters.
Key takeaways
- VVS1 is the third step of an 11-grade clarity scale. Its inclusions are hard to see even under 10x.
- D is the first letter of the D to Z color scale: colorless, no yellow.
- Clarity above VS is invisible to the naked eye. Color is the grade you can see, especially across many stones.
- A GRA card is the seller's stated grade, not an independent lab report.
What do moissanite clarity grades mean?
Clarity describes tiny internal marks (inclusions) and surface marks (blemishes). Moissanite is graded against the scale the GIA built for diamonds, which has 11 grades, all judged under 10x magnification, the power of a standard jeweler's loupe.
| Grade | Name | What a grader sees at 10x |
|---|---|---|
| FL | Flawless | No inclusions or blemishes |
| IF | Internally flawless | No inclusions, only small surface blemishes |
| VVS1, VVS2 | Very, very slightly included | Inclusions that are difficult to see |
| VS1, VS2 | Very slightly included | Minor inclusions, difficult to somewhat easy to see |
| SI1, SI2 | Slightly included | Inclusions that are noticeable |
| I1, I2, I3 | Included | Obvious inclusions that may affect brilliance |
Definitions follow the GIA diamond clarity scale.
The difference between VVS1 and VVS2 is how hard the grader has to search. In VVS1 the marks are harder to find. Neither is something you will ever notice at arm's length, or even with the stone an inch from your eye.
What does D color mean in moissanite?
Color is graded on the same D to Z letters used for diamonds. D is the top: no detectable tint. Each letter down adds a little warmth, usually yellow or brown, until Z. GIA itself notes that many of these steps are too subtle for an untrained eye.
| Grades | Category | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| D, E, F | Colorless | Icy white, no tint |
| G, H, I, J | Near colorless | White face-up, a touch warmer next to a D |
| K, L, M | Faint | A faint yellow you can notice |
| N to R | Very light | Light yellow or brown, clearly visible |
| S to Z | Light | Obvious yellow, brown or gray |
Categories from the GIA color scale for diamonds, which moissanite sellers borrow.
Moissanite did not always come in D. Charles & Colvard, the company that brought gem moissanite to jewelry in 1998, sold its earlier stones in near-colorless and faint grades (roughly G to K). Its first colorless D to F stones, called Forever One, launched in 2015.
That history explains the old idea that moissanite looks slightly yellow. It was true of many early stones. Colorless moissanite is widely sold today, and every white stone we set is graded D.
Is VVS1 moissanite good?
Yes. VVS1 is the third-best clarity grade out of 11, and D is the best color. In plain terms: you will not see an inclusion or a tint in the stone with your naked eye.
What VVS1 does not do is add sparkle. Fire and brilliance come from the material and the cut: moissanite's refractive index of 2.65 to 2.69 (diamond 2.42) and its dispersion of 0.104 (diamond 0.044). A D, VVS1 stone with a shallow, lazy cut will still look flat.
That is why our listings pair the grade with the cut: excellent cut, 8 hearts & 8 arrows. Hearts and arrows describes a round brilliant with symmetry precise enough that a special viewer shows eight arrows looking down through the top and eight hearts looking up through the bottom. You will not see the pattern with your naked eye, but you see the result: even, lively sparkle.
The honest bottom line
Above VS, clarity grades are invisible to you. Pay attention to color, which you can see in larger stones and long lines of stones, and to cut, which decides how much the stone sparkles. Our moissanite guide covers cut in detail.
Why D color and VVS1 matter most in tennis jewelry
A stud is one stone. A tennis bracelet or necklace is dozens of stones side by side, and the eye compares them. One slightly warmer stone, or one with a visible inclusion, stands out in a line of icy white ones. That is why consistent grades matter more in a line than in a solitaire.
Take the Grace necklace. Its stones step up from 3 mm at the nape to 4.5 mm at the center, for 11.8 to 19.6 carats DEW in total depending on length, and every one is D color, VVS1. If you are shopping for a line bracelet, read how to choose a moissanite tennis bracelet before you pick a stone size.
D color, VVS1 in practice
Do moissanite certificates mean anything?
Most moissanite, ours included, ships with a GRA report card listing color, clarity and size. Read it as a record of what the seller states about the stone. It is not an independent grading report like the ones GIA issues for diamonds, and GIA does not assign clarity grades to moissanite.
| Document | Who issues it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| GRA card | Supplied by moissanite sellers | The grade the seller states. Useful as a record, not an independent check |
| IGI moissanite report | IGI, an independent lab | A lab-graded report, launched for Charles & Colvard's Forever One stones |
| GIA report | GIA | Grades diamonds. It can identify moissanite but does not grade its clarity |
| Tester reading | A diamond tester | Thermal testers read moissanite as diamond; multi-testers tell them apart |
So what protects you? A seller who states the grade in writing, names the metal precisely and answers questions. If a listing promises "GIA certified moissanite", ask for the report number, since GIA does not grade moissanite clarity. Read our quality promise for what we commit to, and does moissanite pass a diamond tester for how testers really work.
How to check moissanite quality yourself
- Clean it first. A film of lotion, soap and skin oil dulls any stone. See does moissanite get cloudy.
- Check color on white. Set the piece on a sheet of white paper in daylight. A colorless stone shows no yellow at the edges.
- Look at the sparkle pattern. A good cut throws even flashes across the whole stone, with no dark or glassy patch in the middle.
- Tilt it. Moissanite is doubly refractive, so you may see facets doubled at some angles. Good cutters orient the stone to keep this to a minimum.
- Read the metal line. Plating, gold filled or solid gold changes how the piece wears far more than VVS1 versus VVS2.
D color, VVS1 in every white stone
From 3 mm studs to tennis necklaces, all in 925 sterling silver.
Shop best sellersFrequently asked questions
Is VVS1 moissanite good quality?
Yes. VVS1 means inclusions are difficult for a trained grader to see even under 10x magnification, so the stone looks perfectly clean to your eye. It is the third-best of 11 clarity grades. Paired with D color, it is as clean and as white as moissanite needs to look.
What is the best color grade for moissanite?
D is the highest grade: colorless, with no tint. D, E and F all fall in the colorless group, and GIA notes that many color steps are too subtle for an untrained eye. Color matters most in larger stones and in tennis jewelry, where many stones sit side by side.
What is the difference between VVS1 and VVS2 moissanite?
Both are very, very slightly included. In VVS1 the tiny inclusions are harder for a grader to find under 10x magnification than in VVS2. Neither difference is visible to the naked eye, so choose on color, cut and setting before splitting hairs between the two.
Does moissanite come with a certificate?
Most moissanite ships with a GRA card that records the seller's stated color, clarity and size. It is not the same as an independent lab report. Independent moissanite reports are newer and less common; IGI is one lab that issues them.
Does VVS1 moissanite pass a diamond tester?
Clarity has nothing to do with it. Standard thermal diamond testers read moissanite as diamond whatever its grade, because both conduct heat well. Multi-testers that also measure electrical conductivity can tell moissanite and diamond apart.
Can moissanite turn yellow over time?
No. Moissanite does not change color, cloud or fade. If a stone looks dull or slightly gray, it is almost always a surface film of oils, lotion and soap, which comes off with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush.
Keep reading
Written by the Daellia Journal team, Paris. We write about moissanite, metals and the stories behind fine jewelry so you can buy with confidence. Read our moissanite guide or our story.
