Diamond Grading Report

If you are in the market to purchase fine piece of diamond jewelry, you likely will be spending quite a bit of money.

So, how can you know if the stone you are buying is really worth the price you are paying?

The best way to verify the quality of a diamond is by obtaining the stone's grading report. A grading report, also known as a certificate, is documentation authenticating the diamond's quality and characteristics.

Independence is Key

When evaluating a stone's grading report, you should take note of who performed the evaluation.

The most accurate reports are performed by independent accredited gem testing labs, such as the Gemological Institute of America, or GIA. You do not want to accept a grading report conducted by someone involved in the sale or purchase of the diamond. If you are not familiar with the laboratory listed on the grading report, make sure to research the institution to ensure that it is credible.

If a diamond you are considering does not have a grading report, you should feel free to ask the jeweler to send the stone to GIA for evaluation. If the jeweler is hesitant to send the diamond for evaluation, you might want to consider visiting a different jeweler.

To grade a diamond, an independent laboratory will study the stone, looking for minute characteristics that often are invisible to the naked eye. These characteristics can have a major impact on the price of the stone. The grading report also can help appraisers gauge the stone's replacement value if you insure the stone.

Components of a Grading Report

A standard grading report will contain several notes about the diamond, including a plotted diagram of the stone, listing its significant characteristics, such as color, carat weight, exact proportions and measurements, clarity, shape, imperfections and the quality of the stone's symmetry and polish. A grading report also can include comments about the absence or presence of fluorescence in the diamond in addition to the quality of its cut.

Reading a Grading Report

There are several components of a grading report, each covering a different characteristic of the diamond. Here are just a few of the elements you should be able to recognize when reading a diamond's grading report:

Grading Report Number: This number uniquely identifies the diamond and can be referenced if you need the evaluating laboratory to reissue the grading report should you lose the original.

Shape: This element refers to the outline of the diamond and includes such shapes as round, pear, heart and oval.

Cutting Style: This component refers to the diamond's facet arrangement and includes brilliant, marquise, emerald, princess, step and mixed.

Carat Weight: The number of carats indicates the diamond's weight, with 200 milligrams equaling one carat.

Color: A diamond's color is measured by the absence or presence of color in the stone, with colorless stones receiving a grade of D, E or F.

Clarity: This component indicates the absence or presence of flaws either on the surface or inside of the diamond, with an internally flawless diamond receiving a grade of IF.

Cut: A diamond's cut indicates the percent of the stone's depth relative to its width. A diamond with an ideal cut will be more brilliant.

Finish: This component of the cut grade for a diamond describes the polish of a diamond and how symmetrical the facets have been placed.

Symmetry: This element of the cut grade refers to how precisely the facets are aligned to each other.

Security Features: A grading report should include several security features to prove that the report is not a forgery. These features can include a UPC code or a hologram. An independent appraiser also can assist in verifying that a grading report does belong to a particular diamond.