Diamond is one of the most loved stones in the whole world. Even though it is one of the most loved stone, many people still are not interested in buying diamond, because of its price. As a matter of fact, the price of a diamond is based on its grade on certificates.
Diamond certification agencies include Gemological institute of America (GIA), the American gem society (AGS), gemological science international (GSI), the European gemological laboratory (EGL) and HDR. Among all these certification, GIA certification is considered as the best option. Let’s look at these helpful resources on diamond certifications.
GIA
GIA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the research and education of gems and jewelry. All types of gemstones are studies and graded here. They offer research support and in-depth education to lift the diamond industry. GIA certification is considered as the top rated certification of the world. It offers two type of grading report- the full report and the diamond dossiers for stones below 1 carat. Dossiers don’t provide full information about the diamond and is cheaper compared to the full report. Laser inscription is mandatory under GIA certifications and to get the service, dealers need to pay $30.
HDR Labs
HRD labs are owned by ‘Antwerp world diamond center’ (AWDC) and it comes under ‘Belgian diamond industry’. It is one of the center which trades and supplies diamonds across the world. They have similar lab standards to GIA and they follow rules set by the ‘international diamond council’.
AGS
AGS is a membership organization of traders, suppliers, jewelers and appraisers. The company was found in 1934 but its laboratories were only found in 1966. As a matter of fact, they have developed various standards to grade the diamonds. They have a strong reputation and give close competition to GIA.
IGI
IGI was founded in 1975 and have branches on several parts of the world. It has a large lab and gemological school. Since they have branches all over the world, inconsistencies are unavoidable. You may find inconsistency when buying diamonds with IGI and therefore they come below GIA and AGS certifications.
EGL
They used to have shares in the diamond grading business but they have lost their credibility. Now they are reorganizing and it is not advised to solely depend on EGL reports. Even RapNet don’t list the diamonds graded by EGL in their platform.