Diamond Bruise: Is the Inclusion Worth It?

If you’ve been searching for a diamond, you’ve likely found that most contain one or more inclusions, which are blemishes that develop during its formation.

One type of inclusion with the potential to impact its quality is a bruise.

Let’s examine diamond bruise inclusions, including an overview, how to identify them on a grading report, their influence on price, and how they compare to other flaws.

What is a Bruise Inclusion on a Diamond?

A bruise on a diamond is an area that’s experienced a blow or hard impact, resulting in a small indentation and root-like feathers that can penetrate into the diamond. 

They can appear in multiple places on a diamond but are most often found near its crown or where facets are joined.

It’s a man-made inclusion, usually the fault of the diamond cutter. 

If the polishing wheel is placed closely to the rough diamond with too much force, it can leave a bruise. They can also be caused by the wearer if it’s dropped or hit against a hard surface.

Bruises also leave open the potential for further structural damage. 

It’ll likely be weaker in the bruised area, so if it experiences another sharp hit, it could result in a fracture. The feathers created by the bruise leave it vulnerable to this risk.

Bruises on a Diamond Grading Report

Diamonds are given grading reports from organizations that evaluate their quality. 

For example, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and American Gem Society (AGS) both provide reports that verify a diamond’s color, clarity, cut, and carat.

On this report is a clarity characteristics plot, which labels the type and location of inclusions. It allows the buyer to know whether a diamond has etch channels, clouds, bruises, and more.

For example, this 1.05-carat oval diamond has been graded by the GIA. It’s clarity is I1, which indicates it’s heavily included.

We can see on the GIA report where the two bruises are located. 

Bruises are marked with an “x” in the place they appear on the diamond.

I’ve highlighted where they appear that report below.

While the bruises on this diamond report aren’t a cause for concern, the rest of the plot shows significant inclusions such as twinning wisps and cavities.

Examine both the type and size of inclusions on the clarity plot. 

If the bruise symbols were larger, it would indicate they could be visible to the naked eye or cause durability issues.

How Do Bruises Impact Price?

The presence of any inclusion lowers the price of a diamond because it often hurts its aesthetic, brilliance, and durability. The amount of the price change is dependent on the type of inclusion and its color and size.

A diamond without a bruise or any other inclusion earns a flawless grade. 

These diamonds sell at a premium, so most diamond buyers consider ones with inclusions. The question is which inclusions should be avoided and which ones lower its price but don’t diminish its overall quality too much.

The best way to know how a bruise affects the price of a diamond is to compare a bruised diamond with a flawless one. 

For a one-carat, flawless, ideal cut diamond with an F color grade, you can expect to pay between $9,000-$12,000. This diamond falls within that range at $11,011.

As a comparison, a VS1 diamond features a number of inclusions, which can include one or more bruises. For a diamond with this clarity, all else being equal, you can expect to pay between $5,000-$7,000.

This demonstrates how the presence of inclusions such as bruises can lower the price by up to 60 percent.

This difference is even more pronounced if the diamond were filled with bruises and other inclusions and graded an S12 clarity. 

Those diamonds would sell for between $3,000-$4,000.

My recommendation is to choose a diamond where the inclusions are invisible to the naked eye and don’t affect its durability. You’ll save on price compared to a flawless one, but it’ll appear identical.

This often means starting your search at SI1 clarity, even if there’s a small bruise, and working your way up from there.

Can Bruises be Removed?

Bruises can be removed from a diamond, but it requires reducing its carat weight. To remove the portion of the diamond containing the bruise, the cutter would have to reshape the diamond into a smaller version of itself.

The decision about whether to remove the bruise comes down to economics — whether a lower carat weight would cause the diamond to sell for less money, even if it didn’t have a bruise. 

In the case of small bruises invisible to the naked eye, the decision is often to leave the bruise and maintain the carat weight.

This makes sense when you understand the drastic price changes caused by carat weight. 

For a quality 1.25-carat diamond, you can expect to pay about $10,000. If all other qualities about the diamond are the same, but the carat weight is 1.45, the price jumps to around $14,000.

This explains why a diamond cutter would be hesitant to lower the carat weight to remove a bruise.

It’s better to keep the carat weight at 1.45, even if the price is slightly reduced because of the bruise inclusion, instead of cutting 0.2 carats from it and causing the price to drop by $4,000.

How do They Compare to Other Inclusions?

It’s rare that a diamond’s only inclusion is a bruise. 

When you’re exploring which diamond to buy, you’ll often take into consideration etch channels, needles, and more.

Whether a bruise is more or less visible than another inclusion depends on its size and if it results in feathers penetrating inside. A large, dark bruise that causes feathers is often noticeable to the naked eye. 

A small white one may only be visible under magnification.

A bruise is more likely to cause further structural damage to a diamond compared to other inclusions. Needles, pinpoints, and indented naturals pose little risk for a future chip, but a bruise with feathers creates a weak point.

Should You Buy a Diamond with a Bruise Inclusion?

Don’t avoid buying a diamond solely on the basis of a bruise. 

The presence of a small one or two likely won’t have a significant impact on its appearance, durability, or brilliance.

Instead, it will make the diamond more affordable, which means you can choose improved grades in other areas like its carat weight, cut, or color.

Flawless diamonds are rare and cost a premium, so most buyers purchase a diamond with inclusions.

The diamond I chose for my wife’s engagement ring was a VS1 clarity, so it has a few flaws that are only visible with magnification.

Examine the grading report for the diamond to understand the size, location, and number of bruises. View the diamond in-person at the retail store or with a high-resolution photo online.

Understanding bruise inclusions will help you make the right purchase and give you confidence you’ve found a diamond you can wear for a lifetime.