First and foremost, one of the most common misconceptions regarding diamonds is, many people wrongly assume that by receiving an appraisal on a diamond they may be interested in purchasing, or have purchased, that this is the equivalent of receiving a diamond certificate. This is wrong, and can be extremely costly to those who may not realize the major difference between the two. The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and the AGS (American Gem Society) are the two most well-known and widely respected diamond certifiers throughout the country. What these two institutes are sanctioned to do is, analyze and verify the specifications of a diamond. This mean that the number of carats, clarity, color and cut among other measurements of a diamond are identified and verified by licensed professionals. When someone refers to a diamond certificate, they are in all likelihood referring to a sort of “blueprint” of the diamond in question. With this certificate you will receive the precise measurements and weight of the diamond, along with vital details and information regarding the quality and cut of the diamond as well. On this certificate, one can find an exact, explicit description of the individual characteristics of a diamond. By having such a certificate on hand, you in essence, have “proof” that what you are paying for is in fact worth that value. Now some people may not entirely understand how a diamond certificate is different then, from an appraisal. The difference comes from a small but highly essential contradiction between the two, which is that a certificate will lay out the quality of the diamond in writing, but in the end there is no monetary value placed upon the diamond by the institutes evaluating them. Whereas, when one gets an appraisal, you will receive a specific monetary determination of value of the diamond, but at the same time, will/does not certify the quality of the diamond. Is A Certificate Required? The short answer to this question is simply, no, however when possible it is always highly recommended that you ask about the ability to receive a certificate for a potential diamond purchase. By purchasing certified diamonds, you are in essence putting yourself in position to make a well-informed decision regarding your purchase, meaning will have the upper-hand giving you the ability to shop around and do some price comparison among diamond merchants. A certificate allows you to quite literally do a side-by-side comparison of diamonds you are considering purchasing, to find a diamond with the ideal weight and quality that you are looking for. Furthermore, you will find it far simpler to quickly identify which diamond is the better value and which diamond distributor has the better prices.

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