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CERTIFICATE
- VS. - APPRAISALS
A
Diamond Certificate is a document issued by a Gemological Laboratory
describing a Loose Diamond. The laboratory will not issue certificates
on Diamonds which are set in a mounting. A Diamond Certificate issues
a "grade" indicating the physical properties of the Diamond
"at the time of evaluation". A certificate is a document
which retains it's value over a long period of time, assuming the
Diamond does not chip or is not otherwise altered.
An appraisal can be performed on a loose Diamond, a mounted stone,
or jewelry. If the stone is not loose, the physical properties are
estimated using various estimation techniques. Most importantly, an
appraisal indicates the Dollar Value of the piece under consideration.
Obviously, the Dollar Value can easily change considerably over a
relatively short period of time. Appraisals are most often used for
insurance purposes.
Many people make the mistake of using an in-house appraiser to evaluate
the purchase price of their Diamond. This is a big mistake. Firstly,
appraisals are often over-estimated, and are therefore a very
poor estimation of price. More importantly, any in-house Jeweler may
be biased.
To further complicate matters, many people have become more
educated when it comes to buying Diamonds, and have learned that it's
important to have a GIA certificate. What they have not learned, unfortunately,
is how to differentiate between a GIA GTL (Gem Trade Lab) Grader,
and a GIA G.G. or Graduate Gemologist. Many assume that getting an
appraisal by a GIA gemologist is the same as getting a GIA Certificate.
Some unscrupulous Jewelers attempt to further that illusion.
The GTL (Gem Trade Lab) Grader is a GIA employee who performs the
Diamond Grading for the Institute. A GIA Graduate Gemologist, on the
other hand, has simply passed the GIA Diamonds and Colored Stone
course.
The GTL grader is far better trained in grading and usually has far
more experience than a G.G. Further, the GTL grader does not
have the same vested interest in the outcome of the grade of the stone
they are evaluating.
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