DIAMOND CERTIFICATIONS& Grading Reports

There are numerous labs worldwide that provide full reports for geological stones. For most, you are looking for a diamond grading report. While we use the terms "grading report" and "certification" interchangeably, diamonds are not actually certified. Diamonds are simply graded. However, industry marketing standards have latched on to the "certified" nomenclature, and it has stuck.

The certification report will give you a full dossier on the respective diamond, detailing its performance for all the relevant metrics. While these shouldn’t be used as your complete determining factor when choosing a diamond, its individual stats based on the certification will get you at least 80% of the way there.

Needless to say, you should never make a significant diamond purchase without a certification. It’s the equivalent of buying a house without a title search. Remember, though, that ultimately each lab is giving their expert opinion on the diamond. The keyword there being opinion. No lab is going to be 100% correct and consistent across the board. Your goal as a consumer, though, is to pick one that, per industry norms, does the best job possible.

While there are many grading labs, there are only two we feel are acceptable, GIA and AGS. With GIA being the gold standard across the industry and the AGS having some cutting-edge technology.

GIA

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is the Carfax of the diamond industry. Their opinion matters most across the industry. Most major retailers will offer a GIA certificate, and it’s the one you should be looking for as well.

AGS

The AGS (American Gem Society) is the OG diamond certifier. Generally speaking, their certifications are considered as good as GIA certification industry-wide. They specialize in Ideal cut diamonds, and if you end up buying an AGS graded diamond, you should feel confident in your choice.

IGI, EGL, HRD, etc…

There’s a lot of other certification labs with varying degrees of results. While some significant jewelry chains utilize these labs, if you’re on this site, your goal isn’t to overpay at a chain. Your goal is to get the best deal possible at the highest quality possible. The best way to do that is to go with a GIA or AGS certification.