Diamond Grading Certificates and Appraisals

An appraisal and a Grading Certificates are reports that provide different, but useful, information about your diamond.

1. NetCarats Appraisal
2. GIA Grading Certificate
3. AGSL Grading Certificate
4. EGL-USA Grading Certificate

 NetCarats Appraisal

NetCarats will provide you an Appraisal for all of the Jewelry that we sell. An appraisal places a dollar value on your Jewelry, and is most often needed for insurance purposes.

A NetCarats appraisal provides a current retail replacement value of your jewelry. It is indicative of current market value of the diamond, determined by the current market retail prices and the diamond characteristics including Carat Weight, Cut, Color, and Clarity, the weight of the precious metal (gold or platinum) of the jewelry, as well as the labor charges included in the making of the jewelry.

Your NetCarats appraisal will provide the replacement value of the jewelry to the insurance company in the event that the item of jewelry is lost, stolen, or damaged.

Please keep this Appraisal and all other diamond documents safely. Please contact us in the event you lose the Appraisal, and for a small fee we will provide you another Appraisal.

 Grading Certificate

When buying a Diamond, you should always look for and review the Grading Certificate to ensure that it has been examined and graded by an independent professional grading lab. A Grading Certificate is a Report based on the gemological review for a diamond that has been prepared by a trained and certified gemologist.

A Grading Certificate should tell you the carat weight, color, clarity weight and cut of the diamond. Additionally, the report will provide you the diamond’s shape, measurement, table, and depth percentages. The certificate should also note any specific characteristics of the diamond such as fluorescence, graining etc.

One of the main reasons to buy a Certified Diamond is that the Certificate uniquely identifies your diamond, and states all its features that set it apart from all other diamonds. It enables you as a Customer to objectively compare diamonds, and get assurances about the quality of the diamond.

Gemological Institute of America

GIA Report - Since 1913, the GIA has been the world’s largest and most respected nonprofit institute of gemological research and learning. The GIA does not buy, sell, or appraise diamonds. GIA issues the GIA Grading Certificate, which includes the GIA Diamond Grading Report and the GIA Diamond Dossier. A GIA Diamond Grading Certificate represents the most respected and impartial assessment of a diamond’s quality and authenticity.

The GIA Report

Date - Indicates the date the Diamond was examined by the GIA.

GIA Report Number – Unique GIA Report Identification Number that is registered in the GIA’s extensive database.

Shape and Cutting Style – This provides a description of the shape of the Diamond Round, Princess etc.), and the pattern of the facets arrangement (cutting style).

Measurements The dimensions of a Diamond that are shown as follows:

1. Minimum Diameter – Maximum Diameter X Depth – For round Diamonds
2. Length x Width x Depth – for all other shapes

Carat Weight – The weight of a diamond given in "carats". One "carat" equals 1/5th of a gram. Carat weight is recorded to the nearest 1/100th of a carat.

Color Grade – This judges the absence of color in a Diamond, going from colorless to light brown or brown when compared to the GIA Master Color Comparison Diamond Click here for more detail on Color.

Clarity Grade – This judges the relative absence of inclusions (internal) and blemishes (external characteristics).Click here for more detail on Clarity.

Finish – This judges the Polish and Symmetry of the Diamond. Polish – Judges the condition and overall smoothness of the surface of the diamond. Symmetry – This assesses the overall symmetry of the Diamond’s outlines, as well as the shape, placement, and alignment of its facets.

Fluorescence – This provides the strength and color of the Diamond when viewed under long-wave ultraviolet light.

Comments - Indicates the date the Diamond was examined by the GIA.

Reference Diagram – This diagram provides a graphical representation of the shape and cutting style of the diagram, as well as the nature and location of any inclusions.

Key to Symbols – This provides the list of Symbols used in the Reference Diagram of the Report.

Security Feature – to ensure the Integrity of the GIA Reports, each report contains a number of security components.

 American Gem Society Laboratories

The American Gem Society Laboratories was established in 1996, and is considered by Jewelers to be among the leading grading labs in the country. The AGSL issues the Diamond Quality Document (DQD), which provides a grading analysis of Color, Clarity, Carat Weight, and was the first to include a grading for Cut in the report.

Anatomy of a Diamond Quality Document (DQD)

Shape and Style – The Report notes that shape of the Diamond (such as Round, Princess etc.).

Measurement – The Report provides measurements in millimeters, and proportion information for each Diamond. Measurements are provided in the following manner:

Round Shapes - minimum diameter – maximum diameter x depth

Fancy Shapes – length (top to bottom) x width (left to right) x depth

Cut Grade – The Report assesses the Cut of both Round and Fancy Cut Diamonds. The AGS Cut grades range from 0 to 10, where 0 is the most desirable and 10 is the least desirable

Color Grade – The Report grades colors in increments from 0 to 10,with 0 being the most desirable and 10 being the lease desirable.

Carat Weight – The AGSL report expresses the weight of a diamond in terms if Carats.

Comments Area – This section of the Diamond Grading Report assesses the fluorescent qualities of the diamond as well as any other characteristics not mentioned elsewhere in the Report.

Top Right Corner – The shape and weight of the Diamond are shown here for reference purposes.

Diamond Profile – The profile of the Diamond shows the proportions of a diamond. The 100% figure represents the average diameter of a Round Diamond, and the width of a fancy shape. The Profile provides the table %, crown height %, crown angle, girdle condition, minimum and maximum girdle thickness %, pavilion depth %, pavilion angle, culet size, condition of culet, and total depth %.

Plot – The AGSL Report provides a graphical representation of the Diamond on the Report.

 EGL-USA

EGL-USA is considered by many in the Jewelry Industry to be one of the world’s premier independent gemological laboratories with a primary focus on certification and research.

EGL-USA’s Diamond Certificate

An EGL-USA Diamond Certificate provides all of the identifying characteristics of a diamond.

The 4 C’s – The Certificate assesses the Carat Weight, Color, Clarity, and Cut of the Diamond.

Plotting Diagram - A plotting diagram provides a graphical representation of the Diamond.

UGS Consultation of Appraisal - All EGL-USA certificates include a free Universal Gemological Services (UGS) Consultation of Appraisal, which offers the retail replacement value of the Diamond.

Security Features - The Certificate has security enhancement features such as lamination, embossed logo, hologram etc.