Transparency, transparency

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 affects 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.