INTRODUCTION TO DIAMOND EDUCATION
At ViaRaz, we’re honored to serve as your diamond expert who also understands our industry’s serious intimidation factor. That’s why we’re dedicated to guiding you through the entire diamond buying process as your coach, teacher, partner, and friend. So, even if you can’t pick out a diamond from a chunk of quartz, no worries! We’ve got you.
Let’s begin with the diamond basics, the 4Cs of Diamond Quality from our friends at GIA.
DIAMOND CERTIFICATIONS
A diamond certificate, or grading report, lets you know exactly what you’ve paid for. They are produced by independent gemology labs and provide you with an expert opinion on the quality of diamond you purchased including information on the cut, color, clarity and carat. ViaRaz diamonds are certified by the world’s leading gemology labs including GIA, AGS, EGL and IGI.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) was founded as a nonprofit institute to provide transparency in diamonds and pricing. Over time, GIA has become the global industry’s standard for diamond grading and grading practices.
After GIA, other laboratories arose in order to compete with GIA. These include AGS, EGL, IGI and GAL. The primary advantages to lab graded diamonds is assurance of diamond quality, proof of appraisal, and proof of ownership. Note, however, that not all diamonds are lab graded. The biggest advantage to a diamond that is not lab graded is price. The price difference between GIA diamonds and non-GIA diamonds can be 15% - 25%. Learn more about lab diamonds, also known as man-made diamonds, here.