The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA)
Buy and sell diamonds with the help of the experts
The DCLA uses the latest Photoscribe cold laser technology that allows excellent control during diamond laser inscription without damaging the diamond. The PhotoScribe cold laser is the only laser guaranteed not to damage or alter your diamond by penetrating beyond the surface.
Laser inscription is the use of a very fine, precise laser beam to write a diamond certificate (diamond grading report) number or customised personal message on the girdle (outside perimeter) of a diamond. The diamond’s laser inscription is totally invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen with a magnifying loupe. It does not change the colour or clarity grade of a diamond and is considered permanent as it can only be removed by a professional diamond cutter.
It is impossible to accurately grade diamonds while still in a setting, only estimates and approximations of the 4 C’s are possible. The setting may hide inclusions, mask colour, and make accurate measurements and weighing impossible. You therefore need to have to have the diamonds removed from the setting before submitting them to the DCLA laboratory. Your jeweller will be able to do this for you, it is a quick and relatively inexpensive process.
The DCLA is the only internationally affiliated and locally accredited diamond grading laboratory in Australia. Although there are other highly respected laboratories internationally, the DCLA is the only recognised diamond grading laboratory located in Australia, making it easier for Australians to deal with any problems or queries as they arise. In addition, DCLA is the only diamond certification laboratory to stand behind our work and offer a full-replacement Diamond Grading Guarantee.
No, diamond certificates or diamond grading reports produced by people who have a financial interest in a diamond are not independent, and therefore cannot be free of bias.
Ask the jeweller if the diamond certificate comes from an independent diamond laboratory or if it produced by a diamond merchant or retailer, then do your research. Make sure the certificate is issued by the DCLA or another highly respected diamond grading laboratory; DCLA is the only diamond grading laboratory worldwide to offer a full-replacement Diamond Grading Guarantee.
If you were buying a house would you accept an inspection from the owner? Of course you wouldn’t, you would insist that the inspection be done by an expert with no financial interest in the transaction. This situation is the same when buying diamonds. Be careful of diamond reports produced in-house by diamond merchants or retailers, as the report may be inaccurate and overstate the actual grading of the diamond.
Diamond plotting is the process of recording a diamond’s inclusions. At the DCLA, diamond plotting is done on a computer diagram, which is then stored in a database together with all the measurements and features of a diamond. This database is similar to a finger print database, as all diamonds have unique inclusions. The diamond’s plotting is shown on the diamond certificate, and is very important in the identification of a diamond.
It is very important to get the ORIGINAL diamond grading report. Summaries or photocopies are not sufficient, and will not protect you if there is a problem later.
Why do only round brilliant cut diamonds get a proportion grade ?
Well that’s because only round brilliant cut diamonds will have a proportion grade as it is the only diamond shape with scientifically determined parameters.
All other diamond shapes do not have a proportion grade as there are no set parameters, and therefore no standard, to compare different diamonds against.