Correct & Real Trade Approved Diamond Certificates & Appraisals
Ideally, no sellers appraise their own Diamonds. Imagine, if one appraised Diamond that they also sell, what are the odds the appraisal is accurate and also recognized by the Diamond trade?
Consumers have to aware of what is a real certificate and what is retail end comfort card. Comfort cards are given by retailers as a statement on their behalf regarding Diamond sold.
Real certificates are done and evaluated by neutral parties in any transaction, who have nothing to gain or loose by giving inaccurate evaluations. Consumers have to be aware of no name laboratories, false non trade approved certifications and no name / no trade recognized evaluators. Otherwise, you may end up with a piece of paper or card with something less than agreed in the transaction.
Professional real trade approved certificates are done solely on loose Diamonds and Gems. Trade approved evaluators do not certify already mounted stones. Trade approved certification is issued by an independent Gemological professional only containing Diamond value factors. Trade approved real certificates can be often very expensive, few hundred dollars and takes roughly 2 to 4 weeks. If you receive one for free and immediately, you know something is wrong or certification might be just very old. Please check if old, that actually, again done by trade approved professional evaluator and for the same Diamond it is given with.
There are many trade approved real certificate laboratories. GIA, the most known Diamond evaluator, does not appraise Diamonds for value, only certifies / does Diamond Grading, 4 C factors etc. If you receive GIA certificate and see value dollar amount in it, something is wrong.
There are many around the world. Below are the most commonly used in the trade. You can get referances from Jewelers Vigilance Committee, JA, JBT etc or simply from your local insurance company, who has list of regognized real trade approved evaluators at your local area.
GIA: The Gemological Institute of America
AGS: The American Gem Society
GCAL: Gem Certification & Assurance Lab
AGTA: American Gem Trade Association
IGI: International Gemological Institute
EGL: European Gemological Laboratory
HDR: Belgian Diamond High Council
Scan D.N: Scandinavian Diamond Nomenclature
CIGJO: International Confederation of Jewelry, Silverware, Diamonds, Pearls and Stones.
When ever you purchase a Diamond, receive any "certificate" with it, you have to see if certificate received is real or not. If not issued by trade approved real certification laboratory, it is often worthless and only one persons opinion...that does not mean your piece of paper is recognized by the Diamond trade as accurate. Since discussion is regarding safety of your money spend, there is nothing wrong simply in civil nice manner to ask prior purchase of any "Certified" stone: who certified this stone, is certificate trade approved certificate etc or just sellers own "certificate".
You have to also see this because your insurance. Some insurance companies are very quick to issue insurance if one has a "certificate" without backround check. Yet, if Diamond is lost or stolen, getting your money back might be hard. First thing insurance company will check if original value certification was real and from trade approved evaluator.
Today anyone can print out an official looking "certificates", go to local Staples and obtain a laminating machine, print out ready made "certificate" templates from the Internet.....yes you will feel comfortable with your paper work, yet odds to have any recognition or value in the trade...that is another story. For your own interest, please go to Google and type in: Certificate Template. You will be surprised how many official templates one can simply get, deceive non suspecting consumers and make one think they have now some paper with actual value & accuracy.
In most countries, including USA, there are no laws really regarding this. Anyone can call themselves Gemologist and claim evaluation was done in best intention and knowledge, yet, ones with trade approved education, trade certification & trade back up are called Graduate Gemologists, GG's. Comparison is often made to other trades, such as, to medical field, it is up to the consumer to always decide whether consult witch doctor or MD with medical licence & degree.
Always ensure certificate is real, trade approved and not one persons self home made certification. Many reputable retailer jewelers do certify Diamonds independently. There is nothing wrong in such and even often still today common...yet you have to remember, such is only one persons opinion & evaluation...jeweler around the block can and often might disagree.
For that reason, trade uses independent trade approved & established professional evaluators who only gives out Diamond grading without anything to loose or gain in such. Sellers typically state authenticity of item from their behalf, sign for it, provide details when needed, contact info, but will not appraise or give certificates for their own sold stones. Certificates are only real if certified by the trade approved certification places.
Please check any certification received, that such is real certificate, can be traced back if needed, has evaluators contact information, is recognized by the Diamond trade as a real certificate and recognized by your insurance company. Many insurance companies have contact list of certification places at your local area, if they accept evaluations from independent retail jewelers and do not require you to send your stone to professional certification & appraisal trade approved laboratories.
Thank you.
Verzazio.com