Diamond Certification
A certificate is an independent quality report on a specific diamond. It is issued by a diamond grading laboratory with no affiliation to any wholesaler or retailer, giving the consumer a laboratory’s opinion on the diamond’s quality. The certificate may include the measurements, proportions, color grade, clarity grade, cut grade and carat weight of the diamond. It also generally includes specifics that jewelers may not have the equipment or the knowledge to determine. Each certificate is numbered, dated, and illustrates the internal and external characteristics of the diamond.
Different laboratories may have different grading standards. If different labs were to grade the exact same diamond, they could give the same diamond different grades. There are also other labs that certify diamonds and their grading standards may vary, as well as their grading language.
Our diamonds are certified by the following laboratories:
GIA
Established in 1931 and recognized as a world-wide authority in diamond grading. GIA is generally considered to apply a stricter grading standard than other laboratories. GIA certified diamonds generally command a higher price when compared to EGL USA, IGI, AGS or other laboratories with the same grading results.
EGL USA
Main office opened in 1977 in the diamond district in New York. The lab became independently owned and operated in 1986, and grew to include a west coast office in Los Angeles. The EGL USA labs certify diamonds and gemstones exclusively in North America.
AGS (American Gem Society)
Founded in 1996 by an elite group of jewelers bound by a mission to create a stricter, more modern diamond grading system. Driven by a goal to provide premium education for jewelry professionals and consumers, AGS offers courses to all segments of the diamond industry. Its approach to diamond grading has made AGS one of the world's most respected gemological laboratories.
IGI (International Gemological Institute)
Established in 1975, the International Gemological Institute is the largest independent gemological laboratory in the world, with locations in all major diamond centers. IGI's mission is to provide jewelry professionals and consumers with extensive education programs and reliable diamond and fine jewelry certification. An IGI certificate is comprised of a detailed analysis of a diamond's characteristics by several expert gemologists.