Diamond Certificate Basics

When buying any type of diamond jewellery, it is important to make sure that you also are able to see and acquire the diamond certificate or report that goes with the jewellery. The diamond certificate (which can also be called a diamond grading report) is not an appraisal of the diamond, but is instead a valuable "road map" of a diamond, either loose or already set.

A diamond certificate is proof of a third party grading of a certain diamond, and the specific date it was graded. From it, you should be able to readily see the inspection date, shape, measurements, and "Four Cs" associated with one particular diamond. Some certificates also include things like fluorescence, cut grade, a map of inclusions or blemishes, or the inspector’s additional notes. All of these are essential to grading the diamond, and are always a good resource for an owner to have on hand.

The shape and measurements of a diamond are straightforward, and should be the first things a purchaser knows about a diamond. However, the "Four Cs" are also very important. The "Four Cs" of diamonds are cut, carat, colour and clarity, and all are very important to not only grading the diamond, but to the diamond’s overall appearance. Cut, as opposed to shape, is not the outward appearance of the jewel, but the reflective qualities it has. The best cut is ‘Excellent’, while the worst cut grades are Fair and Poor.

A diamond’s carat is the weight of the diamond, and the colour of a diamond refers to the presence or absence of colour in a white diamond, though it is very rare to find a truly colourless stone. Diamond colour is graded on the GIA scale, where D is colourless and V through Z are the most coloured. A diamond’s clarity refers to the blemishes and inclusions of a stone. All diamonds have one or the other, and are graded by how visible they are. They are graded from FL, or flawless, to I3 (heavily and visibly included).

All of this information should be readily and easily visible on the diamond certificate, and are the same things most appraisers look at when placing a monetary value on a particular diamond. Diamond certificates are different, however, because they never place a monetary value on a stone. A diamond grading report is an independent grading of the diamond and is different from a valuation, which is a retail value given to a piece of made up jewellery.

It is important to know before purchasing any diamond that the certificate and valuation has been issued by a reputable and well-known company.

When you next buy diamond jewellery, ensure you get a certificate from a third party grader to ensure piece of mind.