Diamond Warehouse Certification Information

The diamond warehouse you choose should offer certification and grading reports with their diamonds. Find out why diamond certification is so important here.

About Certification

A reputable diamond warehouse will offer diamond certificates or grading reports with their stones as an assurance of quality. A diamond certification is a detailed report on a diamond's quality written by an expert from an accredited gemological society. Diamond certifications are also known as diamond dossiers or quality documents. These documents are basically proof that the diamond actually possesses the attributes the seller claims. Without diamond certification, you cannot judge whether the stone is worth what you are paying for it. Diamond warehouses usually provide certifications from one of these accredited gemological laboratories:

• The Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
• American Gem Society (AGS)
• The European Gemological Laboratory (EGL)
• The International Gemological Institute (IGI)

Certification vs. Appraisal

Many diamond warehouse shoppers confuse diamond certification with appraisal. A diamond certification is a guarantee of a particular level of quality, not an estimation of a diamond's worth. A certification report is also much more detailed and more accurate than an appraisal. A diamond appraisal is only as accurate as the training and skill of the appraiser. Currently, appraisers do not have to meet any educational or training requirements to perform appraisals legally. On the other hand, diamond certifications are issued by professional gemologists who work for accredited laboratories.

What a Diamond Certification Contains

A certification report from a diamond warehouse will contain the same basic information regardless of the laboratory from which it was obtained. Here is what is typically included in a diamond certification report:

• Description
• Cut and shape
• Weight
• Dimensions
• Depth & table percentage
• Crown & pavilion angle
• Clarity & color grade
• Map of external and internal inclusions
• Fluorescence
• Comments