Engagement Rings - Diamond Certificates

Diamond Engagement Rings and Diamond Certification

So you’ve done your homework on engagement rings and you know exactly what style of diamond engagement ring you want to buy. But where to shop? And how will you know you’re buying a genuine diamond at a fair price?

You need to ensure that the jeweller you purchase your diamond from will provide valid, independent certification of your diamond. The certificate will detail the precise grading for each of the 4Cs of diamonds – carat size, colour, clarity and cut, which determine the quality and value of the diamond.

Some key points of your diamond certificate:

• Cut – how expertly your diamond was cut and polished. To make a diamond really sparkle, it must be cut to very precise dimensions and symmetry.
• Clarity – this outlines exactly what flaws are apparent in the diamond. Some stones are flawless, but most have a certain level of flaws. Tiny flaws will not affect the performance of a diamond.
• Colour - This will record the diamond's colour rating, from colourless (grades D-H) through to yellow (M-Z).
• Carat: This will record the precise carat weight of the diamond.

In order to confirm that you have a genuine certificate, check that it also includes the name of the independent gemmological laboratory. This should be at the top of the document, along with the laboratory's address and phone number.

Each diamond is assigned a unique certificate number and this should also appear on your certificate. It’s a good idea to take a note of this number and keep it in a separate place from the diamond certificate itself. If you should lose the certificate, then the lab can issue you a new one.

In order to write your diamond certificate or report, your diamond will first be thoroughly cleaned. It will then be examined through a 10x magnification loupe and slowly rotated from one facet to the next noting down any marks/inclusions. To assign its colour grade and fluorescence, your diamond will be compared to a series of master stones. Finally your diamond will be analysed through computerized machines to determine its carat weight, symmetry and cut.

Some retailers and distributors will grade their own diamonds and do their own certification. If possible it would be better to have your diamond certified by an Independent Diamond Grading Laboratory. Independent laboratories only examine and grade diamonds, they do not sell them. Therefore they will not make any diamond a better grade than it actually is - their reputation depends on it. This is definitely something important to consider when looking at engagement rings.