Are more people demanding Reports on Diamonds?

[Diamonds]

I'm just curious to find what other Jewelers are finding. Do you feel that consumers are demanding more and more documentation with their jewelry or are they driven to the more generic items, perhaps at a lower cost?

Is the trend towards branding of jewelry lines doing away with the neccesity of reports on diamonds?

[Gregory Diamond]

I think the certificate provides some sort of emotional security blanket for the consumers, especially the ones that are shopping online. Most are unaware of the disparity in grading between the labs and even in GIA's reports.

I have been grading diamonds for 20 years and I see GIA's that I do not agree with weekly. Many of these are comming in from India and Israel.

All this trading of papaer does nothing but increase the odds they will get scammed. I always suggest that buyers forget the cert and find someone that they trust and buy it from them.

[Princess]

I have to admit that that is what I do. I have a few Jewelers that I deal with personally and I TRUST their buying skills. Their jewelry is wonderful and has given me great joy over the years.

I suppose if I were going to buy a diamond online site unseen then I would demand a report. You just never know what your going to get....

[Kelly]

I see IGI reports in all of the Mall Jewelry stores. I've never really considered them to be accurate yet the Insurance companies accept them. Their values are really over the top and not realistic. What happens when a person makes a claim?
Will the Insurance companie pay up?

[Bespoke]

We find that the vast majority of clients want certified diamonds, so we offer them as standard.

It's true that the different laboratories set hugely divergent standards, and that even within a particular laboratory we see inconsistencies. Ideally, a consumer would build a relationship with a jeweller, and would work on trust. But many clients only buy one diamond in their lifetime (for an engagement ring) and therefore want more reassurance than just the word of the jeweller.
Certification is a long way from perfect, but for many clients it is better than nothing.

[Gregory Diamond]

Many Internet buyers are trying to find comfort in the very exposed world of buying diamonds online by putting their faith into grading reports issued by a Gem Lab. Many buyers feel that that piece of paper from some faceless entity somehow will protect them from being taken advantage of. The reality is rather that this false sense of security has enabled many less than honest merchants to fleece a trusting soul that was confident they were protected.

The truth is there is no substitute for buying a diamond from an honest seller. When making such an important purchase you need to make sure of not only the quality and value of the gemstone you are purchasing, but also the character of the trusted professional you are forking your hard earned cash over to.

Diamond grading is subjective. When a gem lab assigns a grade to a diamond they do so by seeking a consensus among multiple graders as to their educated opinion of the color and clarity of the diamond. There is no machine to grade the clarity of a diamond and the consistent and accuracy of color grading machines is suspect. A large majority of the work is done by a grader with a gem scope and a set of master stones. What is a VS2 one day may get and SI1 another.

As you can guess there is a bigger demand for labs that give easy or fraudulent grades on a diamond. In one example, if you have a 2.00 round diamond that GIA grades a K I1 and you can find another lab that will call it a J SI2 (just one grade higher) it just about doubles the retail price of the stone. There are many “labs” pushing out fraudulent reports and the Internet, Mall Stores and a disturbing number of Independent Jewelers are selling them to the consumer. You need to make sure that all the guarantees you get on your diamond are legitimate and if you follow a few simple steps you can help to avoid being ripped off.

• Insist on a report from an American Gem Lab
• Only buy from a reputable retailer local or online
• Have your diamond appraised by a local Independent Appraiser
• Examine your diamond under a Gem Scope
• Ask questions and make sure that all guarantees are in writing

My personal opinion is that if you are buying a diamond you should avoid any lab that is not based in the United States they do not have the same controls or restrictions that the labs here do.

[StoneOakDan]

After spending over 30 years in the wholesale diamond business,ten years with a Retail Store, and having every Diamond Grading tool out there, I think I have a pretty good grasp on the Gem Labs. First, not all stones of the same grade from the same Lab are the same. There are good SI1's and there are bad SI1's so you really have to have a hard look at the stone. I only buy G.I.A.'s but the AGS lab is a good lab also. EGL's are usually 3-5 grades off what a GIA certificate Grades and I have have documented several lately. Fancy Shaped (with the exception of a few Rare AGS cert.) stones are NOt cut graded. Consumers confuse Polish/Symmetry grading for Cut Grade and it's not anywhere near the same thing! The Cheapest Diamond is not the best Diamond. Most of the really choice stones are bought immediately off the market and will not be found listed on the "Net" diamond companies.

Just my 2 cents.

StoneOakDan

[isabellabrown]

I had purchased online many a time. I remember that I always demanded a GIA or AGS certificate on the diamond I purchased. I think this are the good companies which provide a quality assurance.