Diamond certification
A diamond certificate is a report setting out the unique characteristics of a stone, its measurements, weight, and grades for cut, colour and clarity. It’s important, and it’s also widely misunderstood. Here’s what a certificate does and doesn’t do.
What a certificate tells you
An independent laboratory report, GIA is the benchmark, verifies that the stone is what the seller says it is: its weight, its grades, whether it’s natural or laboratory-grown, and any treatments. Never buy a significant diamond without one, and be wary of "in-house certificates" that grade generously.
What a certificate can’t tell you
How the stone actually looks. Two diamonds with identical paperwork can differ visibly in life, where an inclusion sits, how the stone handles light, whether an oval carries a strong bow-tie. The certificate is the starting point of the conversation, not the end of it.
We read the report with you, then put the stone under the light and let you judge the part paper can’t capture.
A practical check
Match the certificate number to the stone (many are laser-inscribed on the girdle), check the report on the laboratory’s website, and make sure the plot of inclusions matches what you see. We do this with you, in the studio, before you commit.