Is GIA or AGS Better? Here's Everything You Need to Know About GIA Diamonds

Before purchasing a diamond, it is essential to verify the certification. The certificate is the only way to verify that you are paying the correct amount for the grades advertised if you are not an expert in analyzing and grading diamonds.

Any diamond purchased from a respectable vendor will be accompanied with a certificate from a third-party laboratory that details the diamond's color grade, clarity grade, and dimensions like table, depth, and breadth.

The GIA is one of the most well-known and reputable certificates. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about GIA-certified diamonds, including where to buy them.

What Are GIA Certified Diamonds?

A diamond's grade on a number of important features is expressed in a report issued by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA for short). The 4 C's - Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut - as well as Polish, Symmetry, and Fluorescence are graded in the GIA report. The report also provides information on the diamond's dimensions, shape and style (such as round brilliant), as well as any inscriptions or obvious inclusions.

When we talk about GIA certified diamonds, we're referring to diamonds that have been graded by the GIA and come with a report to prove it.

Since the GIA grades diamonds rather than certifies them, the phrase "GIA certified diamond" is actually not entirely accurate. However, if you hear jewelers or other professionals in the industry refer to "certified diamonds," understand what they mean.

Compared to diamonds graded by virtually any other grading organization, GIA certified diamonds are a significantly safer investment. This is due to the GIA's reputation as one of the most reliable and consistent grading laboratories, which increases the likelihood that their grade will be an accurate reflection of the diamond's quality.

How Do the GIA Grade Diamonds?

The GIA is a diamond grading facility that is impartial and unbiased. They are completely unbiased in their reporting, and they have no financial interest in the diamonds that pass through their lab.

As a result, you can trust that the characteristics of the diamond are accurately and fairly represented in a GIA grading report.

The 4 Cs, or Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat, are the most crucial factors in diamond grading. Each of these attributes receives a grade in the GIA report, with numerous graders working separately to provide a fair and accurate evaluation.

Additionally, the GIA certificate contains facts about the diamond's proportions, including its depth, width, and table size. It also contains information about polish, symmetry, fluorescence, any laser inscriptions, and a plot of any flaws and inclusions.

Despite being less significant than grades like Cut, Color, and Clarity, these other characteristics can nonetheless influence how beautiful a diamond is.

Are GIA certificates worth it?

A GIA certification of a diamond's color and clarity, among many other crucial characteristics, is worth more than a letter of evaluation from a local jeweler. Even if you have a certificate from a different lab, such as EGL or IGI, it will not be as authoritative as a GIA certificate. It is undoubtedly worth it to spend the money to have a GIA certificate issued if you have a quality diamond that is one carat or greater. A one-carat diamond costs roughly $200, including delivery, but the certificate is usually worth it if the diamond is better than I1 clarity and better than K color.

Is a GIA diamond worth more?

Diamonds with a GIA diamond report are worth more than diamonds graded by EGL USA, not only when you buy them, but also when you sell or exchange them. You'll receive a lot more in return.

Why do GIA-graded diamonds fetch a higher price? Since the GIA's grading criteria are far tighter than those of EGL USA, the diamond market values them higher as a result. Assume you're looking for a 1.50ct round diamond with G color, SI1 clarity, and Excellent cut. And you're comparing a GIA-graded diamond to an EGL USA-graded diamond. The GIA will cost you roughly $13,000, while the EGL USA will cost you around $10,000. That's 30% more for the GIA!

Do all diamonds have GIA?

Not all diamonds are certified by the GIA. Many do, as a result of the GIA's status as the industry's gold standard in diamond grading, although there are currently a great number of alternative grading organizations.

In this page, you may learn more about the several labs that do diamond certification, including the AGS, IGI, EGL, GSI, HRD, and obviously the GIA.

When you purchase a diamond, the seller ought to disclose the organization that rated the stone. You can use the unique number on the GIA certificate to check the report on their website.

How do you tell if a diamond is GIA certified?

Like we said above, not all diamonds that are for sale are GIA-certified.

However, the majority do, and if you inquire, you'll probably be given access to its grading details.

Ask to see the GIA grading report while having a jeweler look over the diamond.

The report will include a thorough evaluation of the diamond's 4Cs: color, clarity, carat, and cut.
You can access the GIA report check website and access a digital copy of the report there to ensure that it is authentic.
Each report has a distinct number, which is occasionally also engraved on the diamond's girdle. You will enter this number to search the GIA's database.

A diamond that has undergone inspection and grading is certified.

By understanding the quality, you may determine the gem's price range and use it as a benchmark when looking at comparable diamonds.

Consumers and professionals alike recognize GIA-certified diamonds. Each diamond that is graded goes through a thorough and rigorous process.

Where to buy GIA Diamonds?

Here are some of the best places to buy GIA certified diamonds:

Jared Jewelers

High-quality diamonds, exceptional customer service, and a respectable in-store experience are all provided by Jared Galleria of Diamonds. All Jared diamonds are certified, typically by the GIA, the industry's most reputable testing facility. However, no real jeweler can match the prices of an online-only store. Our undercover research revealed a 20% premium for the diamonds. That does not imply that Jared is too expensive. The prices at Jared Galleria of Diamonds are much more reasonable than other physical retailers. Yes, James Allen does sell engagement rings at lower prices. But Jared is your best bet if you want to purchase from a neighborhood jeweler.

James Allen

One of the top online diamond merchants is James Allen, which is renowned for its dedication to client satisfaction, broad selection, and fantastic prices. They have a sizable inventory of loose diamonds and the ability to let you thoroughly examine gems online.

A significant portion of James Allen's merchandise is accompanied with a GIA certificate. When inspecting a diamond, be sure to check which lab issued the grading report as they also stock diamonds graded by the AGS and IGI. When shopping, you have the choice to filter by a specific lab if you only want to see GIA diamonds.

Blue Nile

With over 250,000 loose diamonds available, Blue Nile has one of the largest inventory of any online diamond vendor. They have just about any kind or shape of diamond you would be interested in, and many of them feature 360-degree viewing technology for convenient inspection.

Contrary to James Allen, the whole inventory at Blue Nile has been graded by the GIA, making it simpler to compare diamonds on their website since they have all undergone the same grading procedures.

Are GIA diamonds more expensive?

When compared to diamonds graded by other laboratories, GIA diamonds may appear to be more expensive. With the use of the grading reports from various labs, you might be able to find diamonds at a lower cost that have the same grade (as stated on the certificate). However, some of them have looser grades, so you can be paying for a diamond that you believe to be a H Color VS2 Clarity while in fact it should be a J SI2.

The GIA charges a little more for its grading service than some other labs, and the grades they award are harsher than those of inferior labs like the EGL. To make sure you're purchasing a diamond with a fair and accurate certificate, this is a little fee to pay, nonetheless.

Which is better, GIA or IGI?

The GIA is thought of as a more reliable entity for grading than the IGI. The same diamond is likely to have an inflated grade (and hence price, too) from the IGI because IGI certified diamonds are typically graded substantially looser than GIA diamonds.

The IGI also has labs all around the world, which results in discrepancies in the strictness of their grades.

Is AGS as good as GIA?

Like the GIA, the AGS is a reliable source for grades. With only minor variations in how they convey their grades, their grading report covers the same traits and features as the GIA's. For instance, Cut is given a grade between 0 and 10 along with detailed phrasing. The highest grade is 0, or Ideal (here is an example of such a diamond), while the lowest grade is 8–10, or Poor.

There isn't much to distinguish the AGS's grading methodology from the GIA's in terms of quality. When looking for a diamond, it would be preferable to stay with one of these two certificates.

In this post, you can read more about the AGS certification and how it contrasts with the GIA.

Are lab-grown diamonds GIA certified?

Lab-grown diamonds are graded by the GIA. The GIA evaluates lab-grown diamonds using the same 4 C system as natural diamonds because they are chemically and aesthetically the same.

The only distinction in GIA diamond grading reports for lab-grown diamonds is a statement that the stone was formed in a laboratory and a comment indicating whether it was created using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or high pressure high temperature (HPHT) (High Pressure High Temperature).

Final thoughts

One of the greatest methods to make sure you haven't been tricked into paying for a diamond that doesn't live up to its grades is to obtain a diamond grading report from the Gemological Institute of America.

If you're paying more than $10,000 on a stunning, almost flawless diamond, for instance, you need to be sure the grades displayed are accurate.

A small price difference in the grades of color, clarity, and cut can result. It is crucial that the grades you are considering have been provided by a reliable and reputable grading lab, since they are known in the field for providing fair and accurate results.

We always advise customers to purchase diamonds with a GIA or AGS grade report.

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