HOW CERTIFICATION HELPS YOU SHOP

When it comes to selecting the right diamond you have lots of choices ….you need to decide the shape and cut of the diamond, as well as, the metal for the band ….you have already learned all about the 4C’s so you should feel confident to begin shopping.

But wait a minute. Before you head off to the jewelry store, there is one more ‘C’ to consider, and it is just as important as the first 4C’s. The fifth ‘C’ is Certification.

Ask yourself this ….Would you buy a Car, Stereo System or Refrigerator without a warranty? No. That same reasoning should be applied to your diamond purchases as well, especially since the cost of the diamond is determined by what information is stated on the certificate or report.

Diamond Certification is the key to quality. Since 1953, the jewelry industry has spoken a standardized language for diamond quality. This language consists of grading scales for color and clarity, measurements of a diamond’s dimensions and angles, and ratings for important aspects of diamond craftsmanship such as symmetry and polish. The value of every fine diamond is determined by all of these ratings and measurements. Without this diamond-quality data, a diamond cannot be sold.

Essential diamond data is communicated by authoritative documents known both as certificates and grading reports. Although these terms are used interchangeably, they are not the same (see the Difference between GCAL and Competitors).

Because diamond certificates serve as summaries of gem-lab findings, they must be prepared by trained gemologists working in independent gem laboratories. To make sure that gemological findings are objective and impartial, the lab must have no ties to the firms that submit stones for grading.

As you can guess, certificates are of vital importance in the distribution of diamonds—at every step from the cutting factory to the jewelry store. Diamond traders will only give a diamond full value if it is accompanied by a trusted report. Just as bonds have different ratings such as AAA, AA or B+ which affect their value, grading reports have different reputations which affect a diamond’s value. A dealer might pay 20%, even 40%, less for a stone with a grading report that does not command the same degree of respect as a competing lab.

Therefore, when you buy a fine diamond, make sure it is accompanied by a gemological pedigree for that stone that assures you of accurate quality information—and protects the value and liquidity of that diamond in the future.

Diamond quality is the key to value. At first glance, all diamonds in a jeweler’s showcase might look pretty much the same. But depending on tiny differences—ones usually imperceptible to the untrained eye—two stones of identical size and shape can be worth vastly different amounts. Their value depends on quality factors known as the 4 C’s (see The 4C's of Diamond Quality).

Read GCAL's entire 4C's Consumer Guarantee