We went to view
some diamonds recently and both jewelers advised that they would
not show us the GIA, AGS or EGL certificate while we were
viewing the diamond. We were told by one store, that they had
to "get the certificate" and the other store stated
it was not customary to do so. Shouldn't we be shown said certificate
as we are viewing the diamond, not after we purchase it?
-- Roger K. & Kim
M.
I can think of no reason for a dealer to hesitate showing
you a certificate from a nationally respected, independent
gemological laboratory like GIA, AGS, or EGL.... UNLESS the diamond
is not graded accurately. And that is still very common even
in "fine" stores across the country. Most diamonds
without certs are overgraded by at least one color or clarity
grade... and perhaps both. This can mean you would spend as much
as $1,000 extra for quality that is not there in a 1-carat diamond.
Every tiny grade means a lot of money, even though a layperson
could never see the difference.
This is why you should
always insist on seeing a certificate from one of these labs
before buying any diamond. If you cannot find a good dealer in
your area, you should strongly consider one of the excellent
dealers now operating on the Web. The top 10 dealers are rated
in our Dealer
Ratings Report
if you need some help finding a good supplier in your area. If
you need help understanding all the details of a cert, our How to Read
a Certificate
is an excellent resource.
Robert Hensley
President
Diamond Helpers
[Keywords: certificate,
diamond dealer, diamond certificate, GIA, GIA certificate, AGS,
EGL, diamond grading report]
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