You see an I SI2 diamond for $3,000, so you think “Wow, I’m saving 20%!” In reality though, we feel the jeweler is deceiving you and you are overpaying 20% by using the certificate that inflates the quality claims (based on our and others’ observations). So here comes a jeweler who sells diamonds with IGI certificates. A typical one carat I1 (with all the other specs being equal), will cost about $2,500. Take a look at these two searches of SI2 and I1 diamonds for comparison:Ī typical one carat SI2 diamond will end up costing you around $3,500. In fact, we feel that you are likely getting a subpar deal if someone is selling you an IGI certified diamond. The problem is that we believe IGI reports don’t deliver on that. GIA, the world leader in certification puts it this way: “The GIA Diamond Grading Report is similar to house deeds or vehicle registrations in that it offers information on your purchase, and this information can be used to determine the value of the purchase.” This allows you to compare the diamond to similar diamonds and make sure you are getting a fair deal. The reason why you must buy a diamond with legitimate certification is to give you peace of mind that the diamond you are getting is the quality the seller is claiming it to be. We feel that an IGI certificates do not deliver that.īoth of these diamonds have an “SI2” clarity grade.Ĭan you tell which is which? 2) Why Should You (the Consumer) Care About This? James Allen does sell IGI certified diamonds as well, but we never recommend those.) The point of buying a diamond with an independent certificate is to get peace of mind that the diamond is the quality they claim. Only purchase from reputable vendors that sell diamonds certified by this lab (such as Blue Nile & Brian Gavin Diamonds. We recommend only buying a GIA certified diamond. Likewise, Dateline raised serious questions about IGI’s integrity in 2005 as pertains to their appraisal values. Certificates from any other sources are often questionable and should not be relied upon by insurers.” These reports are not appraisals and do not carry valuations. These are the most respected labs, known for their accuracy and professionalism. You may be tempted when you see a seemingly fantastic deal like this on Amazon, but its important to dig a bit deeper.Įven the largest jewelry insurance underwriter writes: “The most reliable diamond certificates (also called diamond reports) come from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS). While they may not be as terrible as some of the others, we feel that their grading is definitely more lax and less consistent than the standard bearers in the industry. IGI bills itself as a top-of-the-line laboratory, but in our opinion sadly that is not the case. Mike followed that up by spending years buying and selling diamonds on the wholesale market as well as selling tens of millions of dollars worth of diamonds to diamond retailers. Mike started from the bottom, sorting and evaluating hundreds of thousands of diamonds to learn every facet (pun intended) of diamond quality and value. The author of this article, our CEO, Mike Fried has over 20 years of experience in the diamond industry.

To help you with the diamond buying process we lean on our expertise and experience. Rapnet search to confirm the difference between IGI and GIA How honest are diamond companies about certification? Why it’s important to care about a diamond certificate What’s the difference between IGI and GIA For more information, check out our Lab-Grown Diamond Certificate article. We will delineate our issues with IGI’s certification, but this is not how we feel about IGI certification for Lab Grown Diamonds.

*Important note: This article is focused on IGI certification for natural diamonds. They are still the gold standard in diamond certification. Hopefully, they will continue to improve. You will often find stricter standards used in IGI’s USA labs as opposed to those in Europe. IGI has made efforts to shore up its grading over the last decade. Historically, IGI has been more lenient in its grading standards than GIA. They work fast, and their prices are much better than GIA’s. They are the most popular gem lab for the major jewelry chains in the US and Canada (Kay, Zales, etc.). The IGI started out as the blue-collar workhorse of the diamond business. Founded in 1975, the International Gemological Institute (IGI) is the largest of the independent diamond and jewelry certification labs.

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