The GIA has been in existence for the past 75 years and is known for coming up with the 4Cs of diamond evaluation. Due to this fact, their prices are much lower than both the GIA and the AGS. Mostly the IGI serves larger volume jewelry chains and mass-market diamonds. This is especially so with diamond sellers in the US. The reports by the IGI are not as reliable as those from the AGS and the GIA. The IGI is most popular in Asian countries and Europe. The headquarters of the international Gemological institute IGI is based in Antwerp, Belgium. The GIA also offers training to gemologists. This is a standard system used by everyone in the diamond industry including other grading labs like the IGGI. These are the color, the carat weight, cut and clarity. It came up with the 4Cs of diamond grading. The GIA wanted to come up with standards by which all diamonds would be evaluated. Its aim is centered on the research and the grading of gemstones. This is by far the most popular of all diamond labs and was formed back in 1931 to bring consistency into diamond grading. These cities include New Delhi, New York, Tel Aviv, Dubai Hong Kong, Surat, and Tel Aviv among others. The company headquarters are in Carlsbad, California but have offices the world’s major cities. The International Gemological Institute is an independent diamond lab. Its main function is to analyze the diamond and provide an accurate picture as to the diamond’s properties.Īfter the analysis, the findings from the gemologist will be listed on the certificate. This third party needs to be a company that is independent and is not involved in any way in the purchase and sale of diamonds. This is how the quality grades of the diamonds are arrived at.įor a diamond certification to be trustworthy it should come from a third party. Measurements will be taken and they will also be compared to master stones held at the labs for color grading. While on paper this information seems simple, different diamond laboratories have different methods of giving information on a diamond.Įvery diamond will go through strict scrutiny and analysis in a laboratory that has all the special equipment and undergoes several tests. Having a reference for detailed information about a diamond allows the buyer to understand exactly what they are buying. You can also know if the stone is artificially treated. You can tell whether it is earth mined or created from a lab. You can tell a lot about a diamond through its certification. However, there is another important element that needs to be considered and that is the diamond certification. These are the cut, color, carat weight, and clarity. Many diamond shoppers will have already done their homework and will know to evaluate their stone based on the 4Cs. The importance of the diamond certification Take a look at this princess cut diamond from James Allen here. They have the best quality images and videos to help you make the best evaluation. If you are buying your diamonds online, do so from James Allen, Blue Nile or Whiteflash.It has proved itself over the years for using a clear and consistent methodology for grading diamonds. The Gemological Institute of America is the largest and most popular diamond grading lab in the world and is considered the standard-bearer in the diamond industry.It is advisable to never buy a diamond based only on the report. They also offer the best in 360-degree videos which you can use to judge the appearance and quality of a diamond. Another advantage of buying a GIA graded diamond is that some of the best online sellers stock GIA diamonds.The smaller report doesn’t have cut information. Always ensure that you ask for a full-size report as this contains the most information on the diamond. The IGI diamonds come with a full-size report and a smaller report.Note that both the IGI and the GIA use very different methodologies especially in grading the clarity and the color of the diamonds.Take a look at this round brilliant here. It is much better to buy a diamond with a more recognized certificate. However, it is still not as popular worldwide as the GIA. The IGI is one of the most popular diamond labs in Europe and Asia.