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VVS1 is a diamond clarity grade, and on moissanite it is a convention rather than a certification. It tells you the stone is clean enough that a trained eye struggles to find a flaw at 10× magnification. It does not tell you who judged it, and it says very little about how the bracelet will look on your wrist.
The letters come from the GIA International Diamond Grading System, which runs through eleven grades from Flawless down to Included. VVS1 and VVS2 sit just below the top, and GIA defines them in one line: inclusions are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10× magnification. That scale was written for diamond.
When a seller writes VVS1 beside moissanite, they are borrowing a familiar yardstick. Our own moissanite tennis bracelet carries the term in its name, and this article explains exactly what that term does and does not promise.
What does VVS1 actually mean?
It is a statement about what a grader can see through a 10× loupe. At VVS1 the tiny internal features, called inclusions, are hard to find even for someone trained to look for them. At the very bottom of the scale they are visible to the naked eye.
Two things follow. First, the grade is a magnified judgement, so it describes something you will not normally see when the bracelet is on your wrist. Second, the scale is relative: each step has a definition, but the call is made by a person with a loupe, so two graders can differ by a step.
Does GIA grade moissanite?
As far as we can establish, no. We found no GIA clarity grading report offered for moissanite, and the jewellers and makers who discuss the question say the same. The colour letters and clarity grades quoted on moissanite are applied by the maker or the supplier, using the diamond scale because buyers already understand it.
That is a convention, not a fraud. It becomes a problem only when a listing implies a GIA report, or lets you assume one. Any moissanite listing that says “GIA certified” with a full set of grades deserves a direct question about who issued the paper.
For the record, ours is the supplier’s grade. The gemstone certificate in the box is a supplier document. It is not a GIA report, and we do not describe it as one.
| Question | Diamond | Moissanite |
|---|---|---|
| Which scale is used | GIA clarity scale, FL to I3 | The same scale, borrowed |
| Who assigns the grade | An independent laboratory, if you buy a graded stone | The maker or supplier |
| What VVS1 means | Inclusions difficult to see at 10× | Meant to mean the same, by convention |
| Independent verification | Available from GIA and other laboratories | Uncommon; we found no GIA service |
| How light behaves | Single refraction | Double refraction |
Is moissanite really that clean?
Sellers disagree, and it is worth knowing they do. One moissanite maker says its typical stone is equivalent to VS clarity, with inclusions visible only under magnification. Another seller says nearly all moissanite on the market falls between VS1 and VVS1. Both are commercial claims rather than laboratory data.
So the honest summary is that moissanite is generally grown clean, the best of it is hard to fault under a loupe, and the label on any particular stone is the seller’s word. We would rather say that than leave the letters standing as if they were an independent verdict.
Why does cut matter more than clarity in moissanite?
Because of what you can see. A VVS1 inclusion is defined as one a skilled grader finds difficult at 10×, so the difference between VVS1 and a grade or two lower is smaller than the difference between a well-cut stone and a poorly cut one.
Moissanite is also doubly refractive. GIA describes it as having double refraction, in contrast to diamond, which is singly refractive. Light entering the stone splits into two beams, and that is why the back facet edges can look doubled when seen through the crown. It is normal and it is not an inclusion, though an untrained eye can mistake it for one. We cover how to read it in how to tell moissanite from a diamond by eye.
Cut is the part that directs that light. Facet angles and proportions decide how much of it returns to your eye and how evenly. One moissanite seller notes that a stone cut too shallow or too deep can look dark or lifeless. That is a seller’s statement, but it agrees with how gemstone optics works. This is our own view, not a laboratory finding, so weigh it accordingly.
What does VVS1 tell you about a tennis bracelet?
On a tennis bracelet the stones are small. Ours come in 2 mm, 3 mm and 4 mm, set in four prongs, one per link. At those sizes an inclusion at this level is not something you will see without a loupe, and the grade matters less than whether the whole row matches.
That is what to look at: whether the stones are similar in colour and brightness along the row, whether the prongs sit firmly, and whether the clasp has a second safety. Our tennis bracelet buying guide covers the clasp in detail, and the post on rhodium plating explains the finish, which is a coating and will eventually need renewing.
Clouding is the other worry that gets mistaken for clarity. A film from skin oil and soap is not an inclusion, and it comes off. We explain it in does moissanite get cloudy over time.
Does clarity matter on moissanite earrings?
Even less. A moissanite stud is a single stone from 3 mm to 8 mm, and the size you choose changes what people see far more than a grade can. Our flower cluster studs use seven stones in a 7.2 mm blossom, so the effect depends on how evenly the seven are matched.
The same logic applies to rings. In the eternity band or the marquise-cut ring, the cut of each stone sets how the piece reads in daylight.
What should you check instead of the letters?
Ask three plain questions. Who issued the certificate? What is the stone size in millimetres rather than carats? What is the metal and plating? A seller who answers these directly is giving you more than any clarity letter does.
If you want to see a different material for comparison, a cubic zirconia tennis bracelet is a different material altogether, with its own grading story. We keep the two clearly separate in our listings.
Moissanite tennis braceleta continuous row of prong-set stones, three sizes
Moissanite stud earringsfive widths, two finishes
Flower cluster studsseven stones in one 7.2 mm blossom
Cubic zirconia tennis braceleta different material, sold as exactly that
Moissanite eternity bandstones all the way round, three sizes
Marquise-cut ringan elongated cut that reads larger
Floating solitaire necklacea single stone, near-invisible setting
Moissanite cross pendantone size, gold or rhodium tone
Browse by category — rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces — or start with our best sellers.
Common questions
Is VVS1 a real clarity grade for moissanite?
VVS1 is a real grade on the diamond clarity scale, and sellers apply it to moissanite by convention. It means the stone was judged against the diamond definition, in which inclusions are difficult for a skilled grader to see at 10× magnification. The judgement is made by the maker or supplier rather than by GIA.
Does GIA grade moissanite?
As far as we can establish, no. GIA publishes a diamond grading system and we found no GIA grading report offered for moissanite. Where a moissanite listing quotes colour and clarity letters, they come from the maker or supplier.
Does a higher clarity grade make moissanite sparkle more?
Not in a way you can see once a stone is already at VVS1 or close to it. Those inclusions are difficult to see even under a loupe. How brightly the stone returns light depends far more on how well it was cut, which is why two stones with the same grade can look quite different.
Can you see inclusions in a moissanite tennis bracelet?
On a bracelet with 2 mm to 4 mm stones, inclusions at this level are not visible to the unaided eye. What you will see, if you look closely, is doubling of the back facet edges, which comes from the way moissanite splits light and is not a flaw.
What should I check on a moissanite bracelet instead of the clarity grade?
Ask who issued any certificate, and ask for the stone size in millimetres. Then look for evenly matched stones, firmly seated prongs, a clasp with a second safety, and a plating finish with no gaps at the edges of the links.
More questions
We answer shipping, returns, sizing and payment questions on our FAQ page. If something is not covered there, get in touch and a person from the workshop will answer.
References
The clarity grade definitions come from GIA’s published diamond clarity scale, which defines VVS1 and VVS2 at 10× magnification. The statement that moissanite is doubly refractive and diamond is singly refractive comes from a GIA Gems & Gemology laboratory note on synthetic moissanite, and is consistent with the published birefringence value for silicon carbide. Statements about how moissanite is graded and where its clarity typically falls come from makers and retailers rather than a laboratory, and we have said so where they appear. We found no GIA grading service for moissanite, and we have worded that cautiously for that reason.
