While considerations such as colour, cut, and clarity are vital when purchasing a diamond, another one that shouldn't be ignored is certification. In a ring setting, engagement ring, or any other present, the distinctions between certified, self-certified, and uncertified stones might affect the diamond's quality, value, and authenticity.
When a diamond has been analyzed and awarded a specific rating by an objective third-party organization which includes the Gemological Institute of America or the International Gemological Institute. These certifications confirm the distinct and specific parameters that are kept in mind when examining a gem.
Learn more about certified diamond
A diamond certificate or a grading report is an independent, accurate assessment of diamond quality and its characteristics. It also puts the buyer at ease by advising the genuineness of a particular stone and makes the buyer understand what to expect from the stone. Here’s why certified diamonds stand out:
Transparency: The better part about a certified diamond is that it comes with a full report that tends to explain all the characteristics it has so that you gain a full understanding of it.
Resale Value: The qualities of an accredited diamond usually do not depreciate as easily as other diamonds because it means that its qualities are accredited by professionals who have their accreditation bodies.
Confidence in Quality: Certified diamonds demand a minimum of understanding when making comparisons with other stones; you know what you have in your hand.
Natural stones, on the other hand, do not undergo evaluation by a certifying laboratory that is recognised. Amidst these diamonds, some may look like they were never treated and separated by their excellently defined quality characteristics, again, the seller has no document to support it. Many jewellers sell uncertified diamonds, often at lower prices, as the cost of certification can increase the price of the diamond.
Buying an uncertified diamond can be risky for several reasons:
Lack of Verification: Without the possibility of having an independent analysis, it is impossible to state that the diamond is of the highest quality.
Resale and Insurance Issues: The insurance members may need a certificate that would verify the value of a diamond. When the diamond is not certified it can become difficult to resale or even insure the diamond.
Unclear Comparisons: What makes it slightly challenging to evaluate them against certified stones is that the uncertified diamonds have no grading report to look at.
Having said this, if you are buying a piece of jewellery from a reputable jeweller then an uncertified diamond may work for you. So just be sure to fire away with lots of questions about that diamond.
Self-certification of diamonds means that the jeweller is a gemologist employed in their establishment and has given the diamond a grade. This could lower the price of the diamond though it brings a certain level of risk. Is self-certification reliable? While self-certification may seem convenient, it’s important to recognise the limitations:
Bias: This is because self-certification may not be objective since the jeweller has a lot to benefit from the sales of the diamond.
No Independent Verification: The diamond’s features are not examined and confirmed by other certifying officials like a certified diamond is.
For these reasons, buyers should be careful when they intend to invest in self-certified diamonds. There is complete reliance on the jeweller as well as insisting on knowing how this diamond has been assessed and graded.
If you decide to buy a certified diamond, the following tips will help you to understand what the certificate should contain. A comprehensive diamond certificate will typically provide information on:
Cut Grade: The clarity of the diamond characterises the purity of the diamond and also the cut of the diamond.
Colour Grade: Retails from D (colourless) to Z or slightly light yellow or brown.
Clarity Grade: Determines whether the diamond has been included or whether it has blemishes in the number sense.
Carat Weight: The size of the diamond.
Additional Features: These include fluorescence or any processes that have been undergone by the diamond for enhancement purposes.
It is always wise to ensure that the grading was done by a professional laboratory and one of these is recognized hallmarks like GIA or IGI.
Indeed when one is choosing an engagement ring, certification assumes an even more significant aspect. Buying a certified diamond engagement ring helps in that you are sure that the stone is good quality and are charged a fair price for it. Most of the jewellers in the UK provide several certificated diamonds for engagement rings, so you can select the diamond of the given grade and other characteristics, and, besides, you are rather confident in its genuineness.
Regarding the engagement occasion, the security offered by certification is priceless. Also, when you want to sell the ring or trade it for another one, a certification of the diamond certifies its value.
Hence, although there are uncertified and self-certified diamonds that may appear to be good since they are cheaper, they do not have verification like certified diamonds. When one is seeking to purchase a diamond the issue of certification is very important since it enhances the Level. If you are selecting a diamond especially if it is a large investment such as for an engagement or wedding a certificated diamond guarantees that the customer gets exactly what he has paid for, a good unique certified gemstone.
If you are looking for a clean-looking engagement ring for a gift or another piece, consider a certified diamond and you will feel right with your choice and the selected piece.
