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Diamonds - The Need For Certification
Most fine diamonds of a carat or more are now expected to be certified by a testing lab such as the Gemologists Institute of America (GIA), or the American Gemological Laboratories (AGL). From that your diamond will be granted genuine as promised, and will also rank it based on genuine color grade, flaw grade, weight, cutting and proportion among others. you should do this before you purchase the diamond. While you can be sure the certificate is valid if you are dealing with a respected source. Otherwise there have been many cases of disappointment due to extravegant or fradulent claims, and this is central to the point of verification of your diamond.
If you have any question about the integrity of the certificate, a call to the lab, and giving them details, should clarify your concern.Counterfeit GIA certificates are a rising problem, and this highlights how important it is to deal with a reputable jeweler or gemologist. You must be wary of who your source is, as fancy looking certificates claiming to be issued by the GIA some times are not. Some jewelers will not accept certificates by lesser known labs that have been found to apply loose standards and exageration in their certificates. In a occasional case where you have bought a fine diamond and have the jeweler mount it, a switch can be made and a diamond with flaws unseen is placed in the mount for you instead.
Obviously again, you can see the need for dealing with reputable dealers you can trust or know you could return the diamond. If you ask the jeweler or gemologist to have the stone examined and he hesitates you may want to question wherther this is a warning that you may not be getting the stone as described. To check further, there is now in existence a machine called Gemprint that uses laser technology to display the diamond from all angles and then photographs it, resulting in a fingerprint of the diamond. This can be invaluable in determining the true value of your diamond.
The result of this is that the GIA now can apply an electronic fingerprint on the diamond which can be used for identifying it, so small along the lower side, or girdle of the diamond that it can be read only under magnification. If you cannot find such an imprint or mark on the girdle of the stone one way to check the weight of the diamond is to weigh the diamond separately comparing to the lab report. The lab does charge an extra fee for this. It is always a good idea to contact the lab and go through the report and also double check all the details.
If the measurements don't match, the placement of inclusions or blemishes migh allow you to ascertain whether the stone in question is the one described in the report. Reading the dimensions may alert you to any nicks or blemishes. Again, if the stone has been mounted before you can do any of this checking you are at a disadvantage, and you may want to pause before buying any diamond you can't see is true to what it is. If you can't check for certification, you may be taking a risk in your investment. This general rule applies generally only to one carat or more in a diamond.
As well you want to avoid bargains and avoid costly mistakes. Take the time to do your homework ahead of making a decision. Shop between several fine jewelers in your area or if on the net, take care you are dealing with the larger well known firms that allow returns and complete satisfaction in an internet service. If you shop you will develope a better sense of what is a fine diamond at a fair price. That old saying that is sounds to good to be true are often found to be the case, and in no field more than in diamonds. Take care and you will find yourself feeling luxurious with a fine diamond at a fair price.
About the Author Derek Dashwood finds the study of diamonds and gemstones fascinating and how one small diamond can take your breath away at Diamonds and Gemstones Shop
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