Iliana tanzanite clarity

Can anybody tell me what the clarity is in the Iliana AAA tanzanites please? From what I can gather I believe the colour should be "intense" and they should be "eye-clean". Does this mean that there might be inclusions that could be seen through a loupe and would they be graded as VS or SI? Hope somebody can help as I am slightly confused!

Coloured gemstones are not graded like diamonds (i.e. you can't equate an SI diamond to an SI coloured gemstone).

Tanzanite is a Type I gemstone and so:-

Type 1: Stones that are often virtually inclusion free. They are so abundant in this quality that even minor inclusions detract from their desirability. Faceted Type 1 stones with eye-visible inclusions are rarely used in jewelry.

Type 2: Stones that are usually included. Stones with minor inclusions visible to the unaided eye are often faceted for use in jewelry.

Type 3: Stones that are almost always included. Even specimens with obvious inclusions are faceted for use in jewelry.

Colour, in coloured gemstones is also described differently as you've mentioned above. Tone, hue and saturation are all part of grading a coloured stone's quality. You may find this information useful: http://www.lapigems.com/tanzanite_buying_guide.asp

In answer to your question, I don't honestly know whether there is a specific colour that warrants a piece for the Iliana range. Whether it's intense, vivid or otherwise. I would suspect that the only way to ensure you get top quality is to make sure it comes with a report from a laboratory that states the colour grade.

Lovely to see you posting again Meeshoo, you've been sorely missed !