Wednesday, October 26, 2011

A diamond's lab certificate is just an opinion

The basic thoughts and original draft of this article belong to Aleah Siegle of Olympian Diamond.  I have changed her text a little, but the driver was her original work.  Her article appeared in In Store Magazine.........

As you to look for a diamond to purchase you should realize that the primary reason a diamond is lab certified is to identify the gem and describe its features in detail. Many jewelers and customers wrongly assume that a lab certification, be it GIA, EGL, IGL or any other lab, is a guarantee of high quality -  it's not.

If you read the small print disclosure on diamond grading certificates it typically states that the certificate is NOT an appraisal, guarantee, or warranty.  The color and clarity are the OPINION of the lab grader at that time the stone was being observed and assessed.

 The grading results may differ based on when, or who, grades the diamond. This is why the same diamond can go to the same lab and receive different grades – quite possibly even from the same individual grader! EGL even states on the bottom of each cert that "Diamond grading is NOT an exact science and this report represents only the best professional OPINION of this company" If it is just the opinion of one gemologist, why should it be so important?

The important thing to realize is that NOT all diamonds with the same grade are equal! If you look on the web for diamond prices you will find that the prices on a 1ct G SI1 can range from approx $5,000 to $10,000. Why is that??  If every G colored SI1 clarity was the same, then people would always buy the cheapest! 

A good SI1 just might be better than a bad VS2!


You should ALWAYS Look at the Diamond, not the Paper certificate!  After all, you are not going to wear the paper on your finger. We have seen many instances where a cheaper priced diamond is the brighter and better appearing stone that more expensive similar sized stones.  What your eye sees and what’s discernable in a lab under a microscope are entirely different values. 

 LOOK AT THE STONE – then make your buying decision!!!

...
The Gem Guys
E-Mail NEGEMS Homepage NEGEMS

No comments: