Posts Tagged ‘Gemological Institute of America’

 

The Importance of Buying Certified Diamonds

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

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.

Engagement Ring True Stories

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

The true love that is symbolized by a diamond engagement ring is something that is unique to this special type of ring, and it is interesting to hear some of the different stories that people have to tell about their own engagement ring experiences. We have spoken to many people over the years who have been willing to tell us their personal engagement ring stories, and we will endeavor to share some of them with you here. From stories about losing a platinum and diamond engagement ring and finding it the day before the wedding, to winning the money for the perfect custom engagement ring at the race track, we have heard them all. But not really. I’m sure that we will hear more, because truth is indeed stranger than fiction, especially when you are talking about engagement rings. But a friend shared his engagement ring experience with me a while ago, and I found it to be a good story.

 

When this friend of mine first fell in love with the woman who was to become his wife a couple of years later, he was a young guy who was still attending college. Of course this means that he didn’t have very much money. It was truly love at first sight for both of them, and within a couple of months they started talking about getting married. They discussed the perfect engagement ring, going to online jewelry stores and researching the diamonds and precious metals. They learned about the 4Cs of diamond quality, and about the way that quality diamonds are certified by the The Gemological Institute of America. They discussed whether they would prefer a large diamond or if such an engagement ring might be too pretentious. Then they explored the precious metals, learning about the various gold alloys, silver, platinum, palladium, titanium, and tungsten engagement rings. They even considered whether or not my friend should wear a man’s engagement ring. In the end, they did locate the engagement ring that was perfect for them. They had a lot of fun dreaming about the future, and this was just one of the many things that they discussed. They also imagined a nice wedding, and what it would be like to have a family and buy their first house. They were, after all, two young people who had fallen in love.

 

On Spring break when they were seniors in college they went to Las Vegas. They had a wonderful time, and their love was brimming over. They couldn’t wait. They knew it was kind of a rash decision, but they went to a wedding chapel and they got married.

 

Because they had very little money, they had no ring. And things were tight for them for the next couple of years. But two and a half years later, while both of them were working rather low paying jobs while looking for a break, my friend, who went to school for drama, landed a role in, of all things, a Las Vegas Strip production of a Broadway play. The salary was phenomenal. He went online and bought the ring that they had decided on those years before when the two of them were just dreaming.

 

It came via next-day courier, and he surprised her with the news about the role in Las Vegas, and then, he produced the ring. When I heard that story, I had to think that indeed, dreams really do come true. Especially when there is love in the dream.