The Role of Certification
- in Determining the Quality and Value of an
Engagement Ring
July 28, 2023
When you visit a jeweler or jewelry store to shop for your engagement ring, you’re no doubt looking for something high-quality. After all, an engagement ring is one of the biggest and most important purchases of your life, and it’s something that you may hang onto forever. You should know precisely what you’re getting when you make your purchase.
The primary way to determine that quality is through certification. Without certification, you’ll be relying on someone’s word about your ring. You may not know their level of expertise, the type of equipment they use, or what kind of metrics they go by to come up with their answer. It would turn valuation into a dice roll, in other words, and that’s a big risk to take with an engagement ring!
Certification takes out the guesswork, but it comes with other benefits, too. Keep reading to learn more about everything a certification offers.
Consistency
Consistency is one of the biggest reasons diamond certificates are necessary. A certified diamond has been evaluated by a tested and recognized set of criteria, ideally by a respected organization like the GIA. That same criterion has already been used to assess thousands or millions of other diamonds. There are strict categories and explanations for what categories and grades mean, and those same parameters apply to every other diamond and gemstone that undergoes the certification process.
A strict scale means jewelers and customers alike get consistency. If a certificate tells you that your diamond has a color grade of F, Excellent cut, and so on, then any jeweler or outside party will know that’s the type of stone they’re looking at.
Customer Understanding
Certifications also make it easier for customers to understand the type of stone and quality they’re receiving. Because certifications require an established set of criteria, there are also strict and accepted definitions for every category and score. When a customer looks at a diamond with a color grade of H, they’ll be able to easily understand that it means their stone is nearly colorless and on par with every other stone with that same grade.
Not everyone is an expert or trained jeweler, but customers should have a personal understanding of what they’re purchasing. After all, it’s their engagement ring, and it shouldn’t be a mystery to them or up to a jeweler to explain what they’re seeing. Certification criteria are available to everyone, and it puts things into plainer language.
Proof
Another important aspect of diamond certification is its ability to act as proof. There’s no need to make a case for whether a diamond does or doesn’t have particular qualities. The certification is a way of sealing it into place. It’s been independently and reliably evaluated and found to meet certain thresholds.
Commonly, a diamond will have a code on its girdle that matches the code on the diamond certification, so it’s easy to identify. The certification offers proof that a stone holds a certain value based on the qualities it possesses.
Is a Certification Really Necessary?
A diamond certification is absolutely necessary. Offering only certified diamonds shows that a business is reputable, and a customer can trust what they say concerning a stone’s value. Likewise, a certificate backs up what a customer says, too. The evaluation process is done by an outside party who has no vested interest in the transaction, so it’s an unbiased, rigorous, and standardized evaluation.
It’s important to note that certification is necessary for both mined diamonds and lab diamonds. Although lab-grown diamond certificates are relatively recent, GIA, IGI, and other organizations offer them with the same strict criteria used to evaluate mined diamonds. Their grades reflect the same qualities. Whether you’re purchasing a natural diamond or one created in a laboratory, a diamond certificate is not just beneficial – it’s needed.
Certification vs. Appraisal
Certification and appraisal are both terms you’ll hear when shopping for an engagement ring. While they both play a role in determining and securing the value of a stone, they’re not the same thing.
Certification signifies that a stone has been evaluated according to criteria like the GIA’s Four C’s. They’ve received a score in each category, and their qualities and value are named and documented. Certification does not attach a certain monetary value to the diamond. Think of it more like identification instead of a price tag.
On the other hand, appraisals are used to determine the actual monetary value for replacement. They’re typically used for insurance reasons. Appraisals and a valuation certificate give you the estimated value of your stone or ring.
Unlike certification, appraisals can and do change. It’s often recommended that you have your ring reappraised every two years, as the market value can fluctuate that often. On the other hand, the GIA and similar organizations keep very strict criteria. Your diamond won’t suddenly lose its Excellent cut grade in six months, but it could appraise for more or less than the first time around.
Which Certification Is the Best?
When you’re buying a certified diamond, take care to see where the certification is from. Several organizations evaluate diamonds, but some are more respected than others. Ideally, purchase a stone with the highly-regarded Gemological Institute Of America (GIA) certification.
Alternately, the Gem Certification & Assurance Lab (GCAL) and International Gemological Institute (IGI) are considered reliable diamond grading sources.
Final Thoughts
All diamonds need certification. If a jeweler or retailer attempts to sell you a diamond without a certificate or refuses to present it to you before your purchase, it’s best to look elsewhere. A diamond certificate offers customers peace of mind about their purchase, helps them understand their stone, and acts as consistent proof of the stone’s qualities and value.
When you buy your engagement ring with Yadav Diamonds and Jewelry, you can count on GIA-certified diamonds every time. Yadav customers can rest assured they’re receiving the highest quality stones, all graded by the most respected diamond experts in the world.