The Importance of Buying Certified Diamonds

Because an engagement ring is one of the most important purchases in a couple’s lives, you want to make sure you buy a quality ring that will be worn for many years as a symbol of your love and devotion. Buying an engagement ring with certified diamonds will help ensure that you are purchasing a quality diamond and help guarantee the true worth of your engagement ring.

Certified Diamonds

Because an engagement ring is such a large purchase, it’s important to guarantee the quality of the ring you are buying. When you buy certified diamonds, you are gaining additional reassurance of the quality of your ring. When a diamond has been certified by an independent party, a certificate will be issued that lists the characteristics of the diamond, including the cut, size, and any flaws or imperfections that may be present. However, keep in mind that just because a diamond has been certified does not mean you are guaranteed to pay a specific price.

Diamond Certifications

There are several associations that issue diamond certifications. Different jewelers will offer stones from varying institutes depending where they have their diamonds certified. They are as follows:

• Gemological Institute of America

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA for short) has been in operation since 1931 and provides diamond grading certificates here and abroad. If your diamond has been certified by the GIA, you should be reassured that the diamond you are buying is of the utmost quality, as the GIA is arguably the most widely renowned institute that issues certifications.

• The American Gem Society

Professionals in the jewelry industry can join The American Gem Society (AGS) but must follow very strict requirements before acceptance. Because of their commitment to excellency and moral business practices, AGS certified diamonds are a good indication that you are dealing with a quality organization that takes pride in their ability to determine the value of a gemstone.

• The European Gemological Laboratory

The EGL, one of the oldest independent gemological institutes worldwide, was originally founded in Europe. The the late 1980′s, EGL USA became its own independent institution and no longer is affiliated with any EGL branches outside of North America.

International Diamond Dealers

When purchasing international diamonds, you need to make sure you are not only doing business with a reputable dealer but that the certification issued has come from one of the recognized organizations listed above. This is to help avoid buying conflict diamonds and help you to guarantee you are purchasing a quality diamond that has been issued a legitimate certification.

Buying an engagement ring with certified diamonds helps guarantee that you are purchasing a quality ring that will be worn for many years. While certified diamonds are more expensive than ungraded stones, couples are advised to choose diamonds that have been certified to guarantee you have purchased high quality gems from a reputable source.

Tags: AGS, american gem society, Certified Diamonds, diamond certification, Diamonds, Gemological Institute of America, GIA

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 at 9:07 am and is filed under Certified Diamonds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.