Diamonds can be certified and/or appraised. It is important to note that appraisals are not always as precise and thorough as a certified diamond report prepared by a reputable certified and accredited gemological laboratory. An appraisal is dependent upon the knowledge and skill of the appraiser.

In order to become a diamond or jewelry appraiser, it is not required that the person undergo any legal education or training in the field. In fact, it is not uncommon for a salesperson to appraise a diamond. To protect the appraiser from legal action, the appraiser contains disclaimers. And, as you might imagine, these disclaimers are often contained in fine print which is often overlooked by the diamond purchaser. The disclaimers may even include that the appraisal is merely an opinion of the appraiser. Keep in mind that the appraiser must also have the training needed. Therefore, it may be to your benefit to obtain a report prepared by a reputable gemological laboratory.

There are four main organizations who provide reputable certification of diamonds. You sure refer to these organizations when seeking a report to provide certification for your diamonds. The four organizations are the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.); American Gem Society (A.G.S.); European Gemological Laboratory (E.G.L.) and the International Gemological
Institute (I.G.I.).

Diamond certification provides written proof of its quality and serves as a foundation for comparing diamonds and evaluating the value of diamonds that are comparable. The certification of a diamond also allows you to purchase a diamond with the attributes you desire at a fair market price. Remember many diamonds look alike but they are not all of the same quality.

If you have a certification of a diamond you are considering purchasing, you will be able to know whether you are getting a quality diamond as well as a quality diamond at the lowest possible price. Your diamond certification report will depict a detailed description and account of the diamond. It will also provide you with proof that the quality of the diamond is the quality you are paying for.

Many people make the mistake of purchasing an uncertified diamond because they believe they are getting “a good deal.” However, it may cost them in the long run if their diamond turns out to be erroneously graded. If an evaluation is later done by a certified gemologist, the diamond may come up with multiple inaccuracies. Keep in mind too that there could be a difference in
grading and value between certified gemological laboratories. Just because a gemological laboratory is certified does not mean that they will grade all diamonds the same. However, it is extremely unusual that there would be a difference of more than one grade between the laboratories.

A specialized gemologist must be highly skilled and trained to assess the color and clarity of a diamond. In order to properly grade a diamond’s color and clarity, the gemologist relies on his judgment, which could, in fact, be somewhat biased. His judgment may create all sorts of inconsistencies in grading the diamonds. In fact, it could be difference of one or two grades.

Probably the most well known gemological lab is the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.). It has a well respected reputation for its certification of diamonds. Careful attention is paid to the detail of its reports. The reports are precise in the inclusions and flaws of the diamonds, including position size and shape.

The G.I.A. does not assess color and clarity lightly either. It will err on the side of the lower grade if a diamond’s quality is borderline. It utilizes an electronic measuring apparatus to size up the proportions (size, symmetry, etc.).

The cost of diamond certification may vary, but it is definitely worth your while in order to obtain a beautiful high quality diamond at the best possible price.

The G.I.A. has a system for inscribing the diamond for reasons of identification. A laser device inscribes the edge or girdle with a report number so that the diamond can be identified.

The G.I.A. does have a condensed certification procedure whereby it provides a quality report, but does not provide the scheme that depicts the inclusions and blemishes of the diamond. This is called a Dossier certification. It is mainly used on smaller diamonds, whereby a cost
effective report may be sufficient.

The more standard G.I.A. Diamond Certification depicts the measurements, weight, shape, percentage of depth and table; thickness of girdle, culet size, symmetry, polish, clarity, grade, color grade and fluorescence.

The A.G.S. lab may be even more stringent in its standards than those of the G.I.A. When A.G.S. prepares a report it shows a plot that is thoroughly drawn and illustrates the inclusions and external blemishes of a diamond, including an accurate position, and size and shape. In addition, the color, clarity and proportion of the diamond is fully depicted. A numerical assessment of 0 to 10 is given to the grade of the diamond’s cut. Grades of 1 and 2 are regarded as very fine. Taken into consideration in line with the grade of the cut of the diamond are the polish and symmetry of the cut. A cut grade of 0 would be considered an ideal cut diamond. The quality reports issued by the A.G.S. are normally used by diamond cutters so that they can
have confirmation of their diamonds which are considered ideal or near ideal.

The A.G.S. diamond quality reports include a description of the diamond’s shape and cut; weight and measurements; percentages of depth, pavilion depth and table. Other pertinent information includes the angle, height and pavilion angle of the crown; girdle thickness; culet size; clarity, color and cut grade; polish/symmetry and luminescence.

The diamond report of the European Gemological Laboratory (E.G.L.) is not generally as detailed as that of the G.I.A. or A.G.S. Unlike the G.I.A., the E.G.L. tends to err on the side of the higher grade. It may assign a higher grade on a diamond which is on the borderline between two grades. Because of this, a diamond that contains an E.G.L. quality report may contain a lower grade than a diamond with an A.G.S. or G.I.A. quality report.

When comparing diamonds with E.G.L. quality reports and G.I.A. quality reports, the prices of the diamonds with E.G.L. quality reports may be lower, even considerably lower in some cases. At any rate, there may always be inconsistencies in reports of any of the major gemological certification laboratories. There may also be differences in what particular characteristics are contained in the report. For example, the E.G.L. certification provides more proportion information that the G.I.A. diamond report as it includes pavilion and crown angles it their diamond reports.

Also, schemes of both interior and exterior blemishes contained on E.G.L. certifications are less detailed than G.I.A. or A.G.S. quality reports. Often diamonds of less than one carat are certified by E.G.L. since the cost is lower and faster. You can also obtain a condensed version of the full certification, which will be less expensive.

The E.G.L. provides the following information on its certified diamond reports: shape; cut; weight; measurements; depth and table percentages; crown and pavilion angles; thickness of girdle; culet size; symmetry; clarity and color grade; polish and luminescence.

The International Gemological Institute (I.G.I.) prepares detailed certification, but it is not a stringent as that of the G.I.A. However, it actually provides more information than the G.I.A. in its reports, as it includes information such as the angles of the pavilion and crown. Even though its standards are not as strict as those of the G.I.A., the diamond grades usually do not vary over one grade. The cost of the I.G.I. certification report is less than that of the G.I.A.’s reports and is
normally used by diamond cutters with smaller diamonds. The diamonds graded by E.G.L. and I.G.I. may be less expensive than those diamonds graded equally by the G.I.A.

The I.G.I. certified reports include information on the description; cut; shape; weight; measurements of depth percentage and table percentage; angles of the crown and pavilion; culet size; girdle thickness; polish/symmetry; clarity and color grades; and luminescence.