This is a continuation of my previous post on my Diamond Buying Experience Series. You can refer to my previous post on the Four C’s of a diamond. Once you have the basics of the diamond all figured out, examining the diamond report is very important as well. A diamond report or certificate is an official document that proves the validity and the proof of the diamond. It provides all of the necessary grades for each of the important aspects that make up the integrity and quality of the diamond, including the four C’s as mentioned previously. More importantly, it indicates all of the necessary dimensions of the crystal as well as the location of the imperfections and blemishes inside the diamond. It’s for these reasons why it is important to look and examine the certificate carefully.
As you can see on the sample picture on the right, all of the different types of imperfections indicated on the diagram. Ideally, you don’t want any blemishes, but that can be very costly and expensive. But if you can find a diamond with blemishes on the side of the diamond (girdle), then that would be the next best thing. The diagram is an excerpt from a sample GIA report. Every report from different grading institutions are different and provide different information. They each have their own grading system so it’s very hard to compare them side by side.
GIA
GIA stands for Gemological Institute of America, is the world’s foremost authority in gemology, diamond grading, jewelry education, and gemology research. If you’re looking for a diamond, make sure that it is graded by GIA. They are the most accurate and reliable source for diamond grading. There are other institutions out there such as AGS, ELG AGA, and HRD, but I wouldn’t recommend any of them. You can learn more about other laboratories here.
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