If you’re going to shop for a diamond and want to compare the price of diamonds, you must make sure to compare diamonds the way the GIA Tweeted on Twitter,
People often compare diamonds on price tag alone, but it’s important to compare prices for diamonds that have the same 4Cs quality characteristics and have been graded by the same independent, unbiased laboratory like GIA.
— GIA (@GIAnews) March 16, 2018
Before Rapaport stopped listing EGL diamonds, and there was a push to finally do something about this problem, it was a murky market, to say the least.
RAPAPORT… PRESS RELEASE, September 9, 2014, Las Vegas … Effective October 1, 2014, diamond grading reports from all European Gemological Laboratories (EGL) will no longer be listed on the RapNet Diamond Trading Network.
RapNet is concerned about the misrepresentation of diamond quality by laboratories that use Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grading terminology while applying alternative grading standards that overstate the quality of diamonds. While some EGL grading reports are more consistent with GIA grading standards than others, there is, in our opinion, confusion and inconsistency among the various EGL grading reports; RapNet has therefore decided not to list any EGL grading reports on RapNet. Read the rest
In 2015, we wrote about this subject and posted a video that explained what the problem with EGL-certified diamonds was and how you, the consumer, were overpaying.
Three years later, and yes, it’s gotten much better, but it’s important to make sure you are comparing the same thing.
We’ve had a few occasions now when this has happened. Where there is a problem with comparing diamonds of different dimensions. The cut measurements when shopping for a diamond, you can compare prices store to store for, let’s say, a 1.00 carat round brilliant diamond, GIA certified, SI1, G color. Most people start at a store or online with the diamond’s size (Carat), shape, and then color and clarity.
Take a look at this diamond report from the GIA. Take a close look at the numbers. You see, these numbers are measurements of the diamond. Each of these measurements affects the diamond and how it shines.
Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. We often think of a diamond’s cut as shape (round, heart, oval, marquise, pear), but a diamond’s cut grade is really about how well a diamond’s facets interact with light.
Precise artistry and workmanship are required to fashion a stone so its proportions, symmetry and polish deliver the magnificent return of light only possible in a diamond. Source GIA
Now, you are not going to get all of this information from a price tag on the ring; the most you will find is the size of the diamond (carat), the color, and the clarity. You should ask whether the center stone is certified and, if so, which laboratory issued the certification. If you have to stand right there and look it up on your phone, do so. If the store has any information they can give you about the laboratory, make sure to take it. We recommend you research the various labs before you start shopping.
