Diamond Certification
Because purchasing a diamond can be a substantial investment, you will want to make sure that its value is fair and that your investment is guaranteed protection. A certificate issued by an established gemological laboratory ensures that your diamond has been graded and appraised strictly in line with industry standards. For this reason, all of our diamonds come with certificates which are issued by trustworthy institutes such as the GIA, AGS, IGI and EGL USA, representing faithfully the stones’ quality and value.
A Diamond Certificate is an independent quality report on a specific diamond. It is issued by a diamond grading laboratory with no affiliation to any retail outlet, giving the consumer a completely objective opinion on the diamond’s quality. The certificate includes the exact measurements, proportions, colour grade, clarity grade, cut grade and carat weight of the diamond. It also includes specifics that most jewellers do not have the equipment or the knowledge to determine, such as the diamond’s fluorescence, polish, and symmetry. Each certificate is numbered, dated, and illustrates the internal and external characteristics of the diamond.
As the direct diamond wholesaler, our pure diamonds come with certifications from the world’s leading laboratories:
GIA (The Gemological Institute of America) – Established in 1931 and is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in diamond grading. GIA applies a stricter grading standard than other laboratories. GIA commands a higher price when compared to EGL USA, or other laboratories with the same grading results, due to the different standards.
AGS (American Gem Society) – founded in 1996 by an elite group of jewellers bound by a mission to create a stricter, more modern diamond grading system. They provide fast, consistent and accurate grading reports focused on consumer protection and satisfaction. Driven by a goal to provide premium education for jewelry professionals and consumers, the society offers courses to all segments of the diamond industry. Its conservative and unbiased approach to diamond grading has made the AGS one of the world’s most respected gemological laboratories. Consequently, an AGS certificate guarantees an accurate analysis and evaluation of a diamond.
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.
The primary difference between the above laboratories is their grading standards; in general, GIA is stricter than any other lab. Therefore if different labs were to grade the exact same diamond, they could give that diamond different grades. There are also other labs that certify diamonds and their grading standards may vary, as well as their grading language.
Pure Diamond proudly does not offer diamonds certified by the EGL International group of companies.
Please note, Pure Diamond does not recommend purchasing diamonds with EGL International certification, as the quality stated on their diamond reports is extremely misrepresented. We do not sell diamonds certified by this company and suggest our valued customers to always refrain from purchasing diamonds with the certificates from EGL International unless the same stone has a second certificate, preferably the GIA, IGI or the AGS and 4Cs quality results are comparable.