Which Institutions Certify Lab Grown Diamonds?
Lab grown diamonds are accorded equal status as natural diamonds. They have equal recognition and are held to the same expectation as natural ones. The certification process therefore that natural diamonds undergo is exactly the same for lab grown ones.
If you are familiar with the certification of natural stones, then you are aware of the 4Cs. These stand for cut, clarity, carat, and color. This system of grading diamonds has been in use as far back as 1953. Robert Shipely is credited with introducing this system to the Gemological Institute of India.
However, like most new scientific introductions, lab grown diamonds were greeted with skepticism. A lot of debate waged on whether these are real diamonds. Even as recently as 2007, LGD could not be fully graded using 4Cs simply because it was argued that there wasn’t enough demand for them.
Thankfully though, by 2020 these awesome wonders of science were recognized as real diamonds, and the institutions that certify lab grown diamonds are the same that certify natural ones.
Who can certify Lab Grown Diamonds?
There are plenty of gemologists who can certify lab grown diamonds as long as they have the correct tools. However, most jewelers would prefer a certification from the top certifying body. The GIA is considered the best standard certification in the world. They are credited with common up with this system, but that is not all. This institution is a not-for-profit organization. The implication of that is that their report is most likely to be impartial in comparison to certain private labs.
GIA has also existed for more than 85 years and through this period, they have been responsible for the education of some of the world’s top gemologists.
However, GIA is not the only trusted institution to provide certification for LGD. IGI is another big institution that grades diamonds. Many jewelers like this certification because it is convenient and provides options like credit card diamond reports. Also, at the time when GIA would not certify lab grown diamonds, IGI came to the aid of jewelers and labs to provide the much-needed certification.
Today, you can also get certification from The American Gem Society, Gem Certification and Assurance Lab, as well as HRD Antwerp.
Lab Grown Diamonds: Do they need a grading report?
Initially, the grading society did not think that lab grown diamonds need a grading report. Even when they started grading the diamonds, they did not do a complete job as they did with the mined stones. A client or jeweler would only get limited information.
However, today we can see an increase in demand for these sustainable jewels. The result is an equal demand for quality and value for money. A grading report provides a buyer with information that can help them determine which lab diamond to buy and to see that they are getting the right value. It is necessary to understand that the process of growing these diamonds will not result in identical diamonds all the time. This means that just because a particular lab created a 5-carat diamond today, it will do the same tomorrow. Grading helps to ensure that a fair price is paid for the corresponding diamond.
The information provided in the certification is important for both the buyer and the seller. It even includes the origin of the diamond and certain characteristics that a jeweler cannot see with the tools available to them and a buyer cannot know by simply looking at the stone with the naked eye.
Grading color of a Lab Made Diamond
Most people are familiar with white diamonds. These are the transparent ones that have a clear reflection of white light. However, there are also colored diamonds. They come in fancy colors like blue, pink, and green. The grading of such lab-made diamonds is different.
White lab-made diamonds: The transparency of white diamonds is graded on a D to Z scale. This is again divided into 5 grades of colorless, Near colorless, light, very light, and faint.
D through to F is colorless. D is the highest grade of coloreless lab-made diamonds and F is the lower grade.
G, H, I, and J and near colorless, with G as the highest grade in this group. It may take a microscope to differentiate G from F LGD.
The grades K to M have a fair tint. This grade is the faint category and may be fairly affordable while still offering amazing value for money.
The next grade is N to R, which is considered very light. There is a hint of yellow in these stones.
The lowest grade is S to Z which is the light category.
Pricing of these grades varies but expect to pay the highest price for the D grade and the lowest price for Z.
Colored diamonds are graded separately and often, the darker colored diamonds are considered to be of a higher grade. These are rare stones and may cost much more than transparent ones.
Grading Cut of a Lab Grown Diamond
The cut of a diamond, either mined or lab grown can affect its qualities however, lab grown diamonds have a better cut than rough mined ones.
It is more common to find round-cut LGD. They look bright with enhanced shine. The grading system includes grades like excellent, fair, good, very good, and poor.
Other cuts other than round will have varing grading systems. The system is usually subjective.
Summary
Both mined diamonds and lab grown diamonds are subjected to the same system of grading. You, therefore, do not need to look for a different institution that certifies lab grown diamonds. Just like the case of mined stones, the GIA may be held in higher esteem because of the long years of existence and level of impartiality when it comes to grading diamonds. Some jewelers may place a higher price on lab grown diamonds certified by GIA than any of the other labs that do the same function. A close favorite is IGI.
