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A Diamond’s Best Kept Secret The Fifth “C” – Certification
How can I be confident with my diamond purchase?
Each diamond is distinctive, but the only way for you to be certain of your diamond's quality is to purchase a certified diamond. A certification is a report on the diamond provided by an independent, unbiased laboratory. The report includes the exact measurements and proportions of your diamond as well as the color, clarity and carat weight. Each certification is assigned its own number, the date in which the diamond was examined and the plotting of the diamond which maps the inclusions in the diamonds. The three principal labs in the world that offer certifications are the E.G.L. (European Gemological Laboratory) and the G.I.A. (Gemological Institute of America) A.G.S. (American Gem Society).
What is the difference between a certification and an appraisal?
There are no standard procedures for creating an appraisal. An appraisal is an opinion based document issued to a customer by the store it was purchased from. Although an appraisal is useful for insurance purposes, the only way to acquire an unbiased report of the diamond is to insist on a certification from an outside lab who is not affiliated with the store from which the diamond was purchased.
This is the most important part of your purchase, and your best tool when comparison shopping. Any diamond can be sent to a laboratory for grading, so if you are interested in purchasing a diamond that is not certified ask your jeweler if you can have that diamond certified by and independent laboratory.
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