HI Everyone!
I don't think we can discuss clarity too often- based on the comments I hear regularly from consumers.
I took these photos of a new 4.66ct Fancy Light Yellow in our light box.
This photo seemed perfect for demonstrating a VS2 sized imperfection.


Here's the same photo marked with arrows to point out the small black imperfections

In this case, we're looking at a super close up photo, taken at just the right angle and focal length to highlight the small carbon spots

By tilting the stone just a little bit, and change the distance form the camera, si it's focused a little deeper into the stone and viola! It's much harder to see.


Here's a shot where the focus is a bit softer- IMO closer to how it would look to a human eye- now we can see the "crushed ice effect".


Would these small carbon spots be visible to a human eye, non magnified?
Not mine- and I tried hard.
However it's possible someone with very sharp eyes might actually be able to spot these carbon spots.
Remember, clarity grading is based on the presence of imperfection, as opposed to it's visibility.
I'd say that this is a stone which is a borderline SI1, the adjacent more imperfect grade- yet i'd also have given it VS2.
It would not make a difference if the imperfection was located closer to a corner, which would make it much more difficult to see- the clarity grade does not change.
If there was only one of the small black spots, we'd be looking at a VS1.

This stone does present a good opportunity for education.
Happens to be a lovely stone as well......
ITEM #: R3882
Radiant Cut Diamond, Loose

  WEIGHT: 4.66ct
  SHAPE: Radiant Cut
  COLOR: Fancy Light Yellow
  CLARITY: VS2
  MEASUREMENTS: 9.39 x 8.68 x 6.11 mm
  TOTAL DEPTH: 70.4%
  TABLE SIZE: 62%
  POLISH: EX
  SYMMETRY: VG
  FLUORESCENCE: NONE
  GIA REPORT #: 2115177282

Price: $39995

One of the few advantages of age is that I can no longer see SI2 inclusions without a loupe, so maybe the store owners were just old...

Kidding apart - it's very difficult to come up with a rule for "cannot see". Something that it not visible from the top is very often visible from the side. And it becomes invisible again once it's set. Which is why the only objective way of grading clarity is on the basis of the presence/absence (or rather - detectability in any condition under 10x magnification) of inclusion or blemish, not its visibility in somewhat arbitrary conditions.

[soapbox mode on]
I also feel that way too much is made of clarity, while ignoring other aspects that make a stone beautiful (or butt ugly). And the colourless's diamond industry need to create perceived rarity has resulted in a clarity grading scale that does not benefit the consumer (just like the D-Z scale). But I'm not going to change it, so I largely ignore it and try to assess every stone on its own merit.
[soapbox mode off]

David - thanks for the great photos.

...and they're also a great bargain, relatively speaking.

I am like you clg, the black I can pick out no problem.  Clouds, feathers, crystals etc. really don't bother me unless they detract from sparkle and I don't care otherwise.  Same with being eyeclean, my definition is that "I" can't see it with my eyes- viewed from 6".  Sideways, can't really say that I have ever checked that.  

If there are inclusions that I am happy with and the stone is discounted appropriately, that is a bonus for me.  If someone comes at me with a loupe to check my stones, well, I suspect they would get a much closer look than they anticipated.