What Is A Certified Diamond?

From all the aphorisms about diamonds, it’s safe to assume that a diamond is both everlasting and always cherished. Regardless of how you view the purchase of a diamond, one thing is for sure, it’s useful to understand a bit about diamonds and the retailers who sell them. One of the first terms you’ll see or hear regarding a diamond from any reputable dealer is “certified”. A certified diamond is a genuine diamond that has been examined by a certified laboratory and has had a report issued outlining the four main characteristics of a diamond as it applies to its value.

The term certified diamond is somewhat of a misnomer. The actual certification can come from any number of independent laboratories, each of which may have different grading standards. Though certified gemologists create the reports, not every report is guaranteed to be 100% accurate. The largest and most respected laboratory in the industry is the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) (www.gia.edu).

Certification is important to buying a diamond to help ensure that you are getting what you pay for. As a rule, most reputable retailers will only sell a certified diamond, whether in a ring, pendant or other piece of jewelry. Typically though, the importance of a certified diamond is placed only on those gems with a weight of 0.5 carat and up. Some things to be cautious of when dealing with diamond retailers include:

• Retailers who do not sell certified diamonds and seem to be considerably cheaper than other retailers
• Retailers who can not present the original copy of the report
• Retailers who offer to provide you with only a copy of the original report. Sadly, some unscrupulous retailers might produce several “certificates” by altering original reports and making copies.

When a report is created for a diamond, the diamond is examined in conjunction with a grading system that was originally developed by the GIA. The grading system consists of reporting in four main areas known as the “4 Cs”, which encompass cut, clarity, color, and carat. The value of a diamond is largely based on these characteristics. The cut is the basic shape of the diamond and while most are round, there are also marquee, pear-shaped, and princess cut diamonds. Clarity refers to the absence or presence of blemishes that can be seen at 10x magnification. Color is based on a comparison to a master sample and references what color or colors are present. Carat is the internationally accepted measurement of weight for diamonds. One carat is equal to 1/5 of a gram.

In addition to addressing cut, clarity, color and carat, the report accompanying a certified diamond will also include additional details about the examination. A certified report gives every detail about the diamond except its monetary value. An appraiser determines the value of a diamond as it applies to monetary value. For the purposes of insuring a certified diamond, the insurance company may request copies of both the report and the appraisal.

Though to a degree, the value of a diamond is somewhat left up to interpretation, the purpose of a certified report is to show that a diamond has been evaluated scientifically in a laboratory setting. If you are considering purchasing a diamond of any significance, you want to be sure you are purchasing a certified diamond from a retailer who can produce the original report.