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certs & labs
Demystifying Diamond Laboratories and Certificates
A diamond laboratory is simply a business that grades diamonds for a fee. The grading results are generated on a form called a certificate that they sell for about $125 for a one carat diamond. This charge is included in the price you pay for a diamond with a certificate. Diamond laboratories differ from appraisers in that they do not buy or sell diamonds nor should they provide an opinion about the value of the diamond. This insures impartiality -- so beware of certificates that do indeed include an appraised value. Think of the certificate like a driver's license; you wouldn't go out on a date with someone if all you knew about them came from their driver's license, but after one date you certainly could verify what is on their license. Likewise, you shouldn't choose your diamond based on its certificate but it will verify what you see in your diamond.
Is it important to have a certificate?
Two diamonds, even if just one grade apart, can be very different in value so a detailed report about all of its characteristics is essential. If a sales person in a jewelry store provides the grade of a diamond, it doesn't mean that it's certified. Very few diamonds less than one carat are graded and certified by laboratories, let alone, by the GIA. Choose a diamond expert that you find trustworthy who will demonstrate, using a high quality gem microscope and different lighting environments, all of the characteristics listed on the diamond's certificate. All of Perrywinkle's diamonds over 1/3 carat are certified.
Are all laboratories created equally?
Laboratories compete for customers, whether they are a "for-profit" or "not-for-profit" Except that "not-for-profits" are part of larger educational institutions that use the profits generated from grading diamonds. The U.S. has no "Diamond Laboratory Regulatory Authority" so anyone could simply set up shop and set their individual grading system; you'd face more regulation opening a hair salon! So, for example, GIA's color grade "G" could be different from that of a lesser lab. After all, the GIA has no vested interest in improving the profitability of lesser laboratories by sharing its grading standards.
No one keeps the lesser laboratories, jewelry stores, and online sellers honest.
All too often we assume that some watchdog agency must be looking out for us. But there is no record of a Federal Trade Commission action taken toward a company that misrepresented a diamond's grade. But the reality is diamond cutters and dealers will "shop" less stringent diamond laboratories to get a higher grade on a certificate. So an SI1 may not really be an SI1. This is outrageously confusing! How can you be sure you're really getting what you were told? And worse yet, what if a sales person lacking credentials "graded" the diamond or told you its official looking certificate was from the GIA when it really wasn't?
GIA is King but not God.
Simply, the GIA is the top authority on diamonds. That's not to say there aren't other laboratories that do a good job or that a GIA grade is infallible but if a diamond does not have a GIA certificate you should investigate the reason. All diamond certificates, including GIA's, carry a disclaimer that essentially states there is no guarantee the diamond will retain the same grade if it were to be graded again at sometime in the future. This is due to the fact that grading involves human perception and some diamonds will fall on the "border-line" between two grades. What are the chances that a GIA certified diamond sent to back the GIA a second time will receive a lower grade? Pretty slim, although the chance is much greater if sold by companies that never actually see or own the diamonds they sell, like many online. Many online sellers simply act as clearinghouses brokering diamonds that have already been rejected by diamond experts, like Perrywinkle's, who hand select diamonds.
How are Perrywinkle's diamonds graded?
Perrywinkle's uses GIA certificates for some, but not most, of its diamonds. The reason is that Perrywinkle's has invested in expensive high-tech equipment used in creating its certificates. The format of Perrywinkle's certificates provides crucial information not provided on a GIA certificate that will aid you in selecting a diamond. The GIA certified diamonds at Perrywinkle's are hand selected and serve as "markers" thus insuring your confidence in the Perrywinkle certificates. For added confidence, Perrywinkle's guarantees its clarity grades with a $1000 cash payment in addition to replacing the diamond if your clarity grade is higher than the clarity of any nationally recognized gem lab. Perrywinkle associates will use high quality gem microscopes and varied lighting environments that will aid you in verifying the certificate and in defining your taste in diamonds.
Copyright © 2000-2006 The Sporn Company, Inc.
While The Sporn Company, Inc. distributes text on it's website for the purpose of educating its customers, The Sporn Company, Inc. retains copyright on all text. This means that you may not: distribute the text or graphics to others without the express written permission of The Sporn Company, Inc., modify or re-use the text in any form. This means you!
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