After analysing thousands of diamonds, DCLA has developed a new Transparency grading system, independent of other quality grades listed on the traditional diamond certificate.
Transparency is the degree to which a material transmits light, directly relevant to the cloudiness or haziness of the material.
Diamonds of any clarity, fluorescence and cut can in fact have Very Good or Excellent Transparency, making them attractive stones. Diamonds of any clarity, fluorescence and cut can also have Good or Medium Transparency - light return can be interrupted by multiple features of a given diamond.
The DCLA Transparency Grading System will now take all of these features into account to provide an even more comprehensive assessment of a diamond.
What is Transparency?
Transparency, also called pellucidity, is the material property of allowing light to pass through. In mineralogy, another term for this property is diaphaneity.
The DCLA Transparency Grade is the degree to which a diamond transmits light, directly relevant to its ‘cloudiness’ or ‘haziness.’
In other words, it is a comprehensive assessment of light performance based on the quality of the diamond crystal itself.
What Effects Transparency?
Diamond transparency can be affected in many ways. Certain types of inclusions, such as clouds and twinning lines, structural phenomena such as graining, and even fluorescence can have an impact on a diamond’s ability to transmit light.
That being said, diamonds of any clarity, fluorescence and cut can in fact have Very Good or Excellent Transparency, making them attractive stones. For example, fluorescence can sometimes give a diamond a ‘milky’ appearance, especially when in sunlight…but this is not always the case. It is quite possible for a fluorescent diamond to have Very Good or even Excellent Transparency.
Diamonds of almost any clarity, fluorescence, and cut can also have Good or Medium Transparency – as said, multiple features contribute to a diamond’s transparency.
The unique DCLA Transparency Grading System now takes all of these features into account to provide an even more comprehensive assessment of your diamond.
DCLA Diamond Transparency Scale
Excellent: Completely transparent, no light interruption, no haze or cloud.
Very Good: Transparent, minimal light interruption, very light haze or cloud, difficult to detect.
Good: Transparent, slight light interruption, slight visible haze or cloud, detectable.
Medium: Semi-Transparent, marked light interruption, moderate haze or cloud, easy to detect.
Poor: Semi-Transparent, very little light passes through, heavy haze or cloud.
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