Thursday, June 25, 2009

'How to buy a diamond' workshop Saturday 25 July




Diamond buying made easy...register now for the next 2-3 hour hands-on workshop covering diamond quality and diamond buying taught by the Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia.

DCLA diamond experts will walk participants through How to Buy a Diamond during a 2-3 hour in-house workshop located at the actual DCLA Laboratory.Date: Saturday July 25 2009Time: 9:00amCost: $88 incl GST, redeemable against any later purchase of a diamond through the DCLA Diamond Exchange.

Diamond Buying workshop topics include:

•Detailed explanation and hands-on evaluation of the 4C’s of diamond grading. Participants will take part in the grading process to learn how the quality and value of a diamond is established. This includes how the diamond shape, cut quality, colour, clarity, carat weight, fluorescence, and transparency affect the price of a diamond.

•Choosing the diamond shape, size, and quality right for you

•How to shop for a diamond and questions to ask jewellers

•How to read, understand, and compare Diamond Grading Certificates when shopping

•Explanation and identification of diamond treatments, and how they affect value

•Explanation and identification of synthetic diamonds, and how they affect value

Participants will have ample opportunity to ask questions throughout the workshop.Spacing is limited, contact DCLA on 1300 66 3252(DCLA) to register and reserve your place.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Synthetic Diamonds on the market in Australia?




A synthetic diamond has been identified by the DCLA, on the heels of the recent discovery of numerous treated diamonds in Australia.
The man-made diamond, a near-colourless 0.54ct round brilliant cut diamond, was submitted to the DCLA Laboratory for authentication by an Australian diamond merchant unconfident of its origin.
With subsequent examination, the diamond was identified by the DCLA as a diamond created by a company in Canada, Advanced Optical Technologies Corporation (AOTC). Identifying features of this diamond include no fluorescence and a light blue hue, as well as a tiny dark grey inclusion with metallic lustre, pictured above at high resolution 50X magnification.
AOTC produces synthetic coloured diamonds (primarily yellows and blues) as well as colourless “white” diamonds using a high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) process. There are several other overseas companies also producing synthetic diamonds on a wide scale using this process, while others use a newer process using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technology. To date, however, there has been no fully disclosed importer of synthetic diamonds in Australia.
In terms of identification, synthetic diamonds (also known as man-made diamonds, lab- or laboratory-created diamonds, and lab- or laboratory-grown diamonds), have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as natural diamonds do, making them impossible to identify without advanced testing.
Examination with a microscope may sometimes show indicators, or ‘clues’, that a diamond is synthetic, but these are indicators only; neither presence nor absence of these indicators is conclusive. Both natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds may show very similar characteristics, thus advanced testing is required for conclusive identification.
Some visible clues of synthetic diamonds that valuers should be aware of are those of dark grey or black inclusions with a metallic lustre, as seen in this particular HPHT-created diamond, inert fluorescence under long-wave UV light, cloud inclusions, internal or surface graining, stronger short-wave to long-wave fluorescence, phosphorescence, and colour zoning, among others. Natural diamonds will also show these characteristics however, which is why identification of a diamond’s origin requires an educated and trained gemmologist, skilled in handling the necessary equipment in a qualified laboratory.
Buyers and valuers should also be aware that synthetic diamonds created by synthetic diamond producers like AOTC are laser inscribed on the girdle for identification and disclosure purposes, ie. “AOTC CREATED” and should be accompanied by a synthetic diamond report for full and clear disclosure – however, this inscription can be removed and a diamond should always be verified.
DCLA will not issue diamond grading certificates for synthetic diamonds