An inverse semigroup $S$ is pure if $e=e^2$, $a\in S$, $e<a$ implies $a^2=a$; it is cryptic if Green's relation $\mathcal {H}$ on $S$ is a congruence; it is a Clifford semigroup if it is a semillatice of groups. We characterize the pure ones by the absence of certain subsemigroups and a homomorphism from a concrete semigroup, and determine minimal nonpure varieties. Next we characterize the cryptic ones in terms of their group elements and also by a homomorphism of a semigroup constructed in the paper. We also characterize groups and Clifford semigroups in a similar way by means of divisors. The paper also contains characterizations of completely semisimple inverse and of combinatorial inverse semigroups in a similar manner. It ends with a description of minimal non-$\mathcal {V}$ varieties, for varieties $\mathcal {V}$ of inverse semigroups considered.