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Before purchasing a diamond, you should expect to review a copy of its certificate, as this is your only guarantee of the quality and value of that diamond.
What's in a Certificate?
A diamond certificate, also called a diamond grading report, diamond dossier®, or diamond quality report, is a report created by a gemologist, or gemologists, who have scrutinized the diamond and placed it under a microscope to analyze its dimensions, clarity, cut, color, finish, symmetry, and other characteristics.
| Diamond Grading and Gemological Reports |
| There are a variety of Gemological Institutes that appraise diamonds and issue Diamond Gemological Reports, measure and certify loose diamonds and diamond jewelry. Depending on your region, there are a number of reputable companies including the following listed below. |
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HRD - Hoge Raad Voor Diamant (The Diamond High Council). The officially recognised representative of the Belgium diamond trade and industry. HRD headquarters are located in Antwerp, World Diamond Center.
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GIA - Gemological Institute of America. Founded in 1931 in Los Angeles, the GIA created and introduced the international grading system. Headquarters are still located in Los Angeles.
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IGI - International Gemmological Institute. The oldest institute of its kind in Antwerp. Set up in 1975 with labs in New York, Bangkok, Mumbai and Tokyo.
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AGS - American Gem Society Founded in 1934 by Robert M. Shipley who also founded the GIA. The AGS is based in Nevada, USA.
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EGL - European Gemological Laboratory. EGL was originally opened in Antwerp in 1974, and now has laboratories in Antwerp, New York Los Angeles, Johannesburg, Paris, London, Israel and Seoul.
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