Buying a diamond is one of the most important jewellery purchases many people will ever make. Yet with thousands of diamonds available online and through jewellery stores, knowing where to buy a diamond, and who to trust, can be difficult.
Price, appearance and marketing can all influence a purchase, but there is another factor that should never be overlooked: knowledge.
At the Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA), decades of experience in the diamond industry have created a unique depth of knowledge, from rough diamond mining and trading, through to cutting, polishing, grading and certification.
That experience provides something a price tag alone cannot: confidence that you understand what you are buying.
Why experience matters when buying a diamond
It is easy to look at the famous 4Cs, carat, colour, clarity and cut and assume that buying a diamond is simply a matter of comparing numbers.
It isn’t.
Two diamonds with apparently similar specifications can look very different and can have significantly different values. Small variations in colour, clarity, proportions, fluorescence, transparency and cut can influence both appearance and price. DCLA notes that even small changes in the characteristics of a diamond can have a substantial effect on value.
This is where real diamond experience matters.
Someone who has spent decades examining diamonds doesn’t simply read a certificate. They understand how a diamond behaves, how it was cut, how its proportions affect light performance and how the individual characteristics of the stone influence its desirability.
From the mine to the polished diamond
The DCLA story is unusual because its expertise extends far beyond laboratory grading.
The Cohen family’s involvement in the diamond industry stretches back to Johannesburg in the 1970s. Bruce Cohen began his diamond career under the guidance of his father, David Cohen. Michael Cohen trained as a polisher, cleaver and marker with a major De Beers sightholder before establishing diamond offices and cutting operations in southern Africa. Roy Cohen subsequently became involved in rough diamond trading and mining interests.
That means the knowledge behind DCLA has been developed across virtually every stage of a diamond’s journey.
Rough diamond.
Mining.
Trading.
Planning.
Cleaving.
Polishing.
Grading.
Certification.
Buying and selling.
This provides a perspective that is difficult to replicate.
The advantage of buying with an independent laboratory behind you
One of the most important questions a diamond buyer should ask is:
Who graded the diamond?
A grading report should come from an independent laboratory rather than simply being an in-house document produced by the person selling the diamond.
DCLA specifically warns consumers to be cautious about reports produced by retailers or merchants who have a financial interest in the stone. Independent grading provides an additional layer of confidence because the laboratory is assessing the diamond rather than selling it.
DCLA is an internationally accredited diamond grading laboratory in Australia, with grading conducted in Sydney by qualified gemmologists according to IDC and CIBJO standards.
Don’t just buy the certificate, understand the diamond
A certificate is important, but the real value comes from understanding what the certificate means.
A DCLA Diamond Grading Report records characteristics including:
- Carat weight
- Colour
- Clarity
- Cut
- Symmetry and polish
- Measurements and proportions
- Fluorescence
- Transparency
- Whether the diamond is natural or laboratory-grown
- Treatments or enhancements
- Unique identifying information
But experienced diamond professionals can take that information further.
They can help explain why one diamond may offer better visual performance than another, whether you are paying for characteristics that you can actually see, and where your money may be better spent.
The best diamond isn’t necessarily the most expensive
One of the biggest mistakes a buyer can make is believing that the highest grades automatically represent the best purchase.
The objective should be to find the right diamond for your budget and your priorities.
Perhaps you want maximum size.
Perhaps brilliance is your priority.
Perhaps you want exceptional colour.
Perhaps you want a diamond with a particular shape.
Or perhaps you want to maximise beauty while avoiding paying a premium for characteristics that make little visible difference to the eye.
This is where independent advice can make a significant difference.
Rather than simply selling you a diamond, the objective should be to help you understand why one diamond represents a better choice than another.
Buying online versus buying from an expert
Online diamond retailers can offer enormous choice and make it easy to compare prices.
But a photograph and a list of specifications cannot always tell the whole story.
A diamond is a three-dimensional optical object. Its proportions, facet arrangement, inclusions and light performance all contribute to how it looks in real life.
For a significant purchase, having access to someone who can explain the diamond in understandable terms can be invaluable.
And for buyers who want the ultimate level of confidence, an independent laboratory provides another important safeguard.
Australian consumer organisation CHOICE similarly recommends shopping around and obtaining an independent grading certificate for significant diamond purchases.
Confidence is more than a good price
The cheapest diamond is not necessarily the best diamond.
The best diamond is the one you understand, are confident in, and believe represents the right combination of beauty, quality and value for your circumstances.
This is why DCLA believes diamond buying should be an educational experience rather than simply a sales transaction.
With decades of experience extending from rough diamonds and polishing to modern scientific grading, DCLA brings together old-fashioned diamond knowledge and modern laboratory technology.
Every diamond certified by DCLA is examined in its Sydney laboratory, combining hands-on expertise with advanced instrumentation.
So, where is the best place to buy a diamond in Australia?
There are many places Australians can purchase diamonds, from online retailers and traditional jewellers to specialist diamond dealers.
But if you are looking for something more than a transaction, look for experience, independence, transparency and expertise.
That is what makes the DCLA approach different.
You are not simply buying a stone.
You are making a significant financial and emotional decision with the benefit of people who have spent decades working with diamonds at almost every level of the industry.
From the rough diamond to the finished gem, that experience matters.
And when you are spending thousands, or tens of thousands, of dollars on a diamond, having the right knowledge behind your decision can be worth far more than simply finding the lowest advertised price.
Buy with knowledge. Buy with confidence. Buy a diamond you understand.
Visit the Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia
DCLA is an independent diamond grading and certification laboratory. A grading report describes the characteristics of a diamond and is not, by itself, a valuation or statement of market price.
