We often get enquiries from both the wholesale and retail sector concerning Argyle Diamonds and their Laser Inscription and Certification policy. I decided to head over the road and have a chat with Josephine Johnson, the Head of Marketing for Argyle Diamonds here in Perth. We discussed the confusion this creates when purchasing and Argyle Diamond and she was able to fill me in on the historical detail:1. From 1985-1998 only white Argyle diamonds over 0.50 ct were laser inscribed. The coloured were not with the possible exception of some of the 1998 tender stones (pink).

2. In 2005 APD (Argyle Polished Diamonds) laser inscribed 0.20 ct and larger Pink Diamonds, and champagne and Cognacs diamonds over 0.50ct. The inscription features the Argyle diamond Logo “A” and the parcel number.

3. Since Jan. 2009 all Argyle Pink diamonds 0.15 ct and above have been inscribed and certified.

There will be further changes as new technology in Laser inscription is on it’s way and the prices of these diamonds are going up so fast that the smaller stones are getting very valuable and more people are wanting to collect them or use them in there jewellery designs.

The purpose of inscribing these rare diamonds is to enhance the value of these collectible diamonds. The value of Argyle pink diamonds is rising faster than any other section of the Jewellery business. APD are also wanting to sell the current production at the best price. This means differentiating it from already sold Argyle Pinks. By changing the inscription and certification parameters to include smaller pinks this creates a demand for these newly produced stones over previously sold pinks.

At Diamonds of Australia we have been able to provide our certificate of origin based on our purchases of Argyle Pink Diamonds in Parcels with the lot numbers so that these diamonds can be sold with confidence as Argyle Pink Diamonds. This is important as the value of the Argyle Diamond does increase if the origin can be confirmed.