There is already plenty of hearsay going around the buyer population about certified gemstones. Some are plain propagandas, while others are myths borrowed from some unauthenticated sources. The truth about certificates concerning diamonds is that they are critical to the success of your investment. Therefore, certification of diamonds is one area that needs adequate illumination for the sake of the buyers. So, let’s take a look at what these certificates are all about and how certified diamonds, or any gemstone for that matter, are different from their uncertified equivalents.
The Top Certifying Boards
In the mainland US, GIA is the supreme authority in grading and certifying diamonds. The Gemological Institute of America is quite an old organization and their standards are accepted all over the world. Next is the American Gem Society, abbreviated as AGS. In Europe, it’s the European Gemological Laboratory or EGL. There are a few other globally recognized boards like the International Gemological Institute and The HogeRaadVoorDiamant.
What Do the Certificate Fine Prints Have?
A diamond certificate is in other words, a report of its inspection. The laboratory gemologists inspect the stones individually and grade them by their standard parameters of grading. All of these established laboratories produce detailed documentation of the reports of examination. The 4C of most accepted model of evaluation where a stone’s cut, clarity, color and carat are checked. In addition to that, the certificates contain notes about the flaws and fluorescence of the stone, among other details. While some of these labs grade with alphabets, others use numerical grading. Regardless, they all mean the same thing.
For visually flawed diamonds, GIA and other laboratories have a different set of grades. For GIA, it starts with the grade I or Included. HDR denotes visual flaws by the letter P standing for Imperfect.
Why Should You Only Buy a Certified Diamond?
In the light of the above discussion, it makes sense to add that as a buyer, your lookout should only be for certified diamonds. The first reason for that is, these stones come with an accepted certificate of quality. The certificates contain an approval and analysis of its value and authenticity. Without it, there is no way of knowing these critical details about a stone. A certificate is equivalent to a buyers’ peace of mind. It is also valid resource for insurance companies for appraisal of values.
