Gemological Laboratories
Gemological laboratories are indispensable components of the diamond industry. These third party institutes grade diamonds and also help to regulate both diamond standards and business practices.
Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
The Gemological Institute of America was established in 1931 by Wichita jeweler Robert M. Shipley. After studying gemology in Great Britain, Shipley acknowledged the need for a system of jewelry regulation and standardization of practice in the States and dedicated himself to founding an organization for that specific purpose. Now the GIA is the foremost laboratory in the world for grading and identifying diamonds and gems, as well as pearls. Not only do they grade gems, but are also concerned with education as they offer training and confer diplomas after passing their courses. They also publish Gems and Gemology, a reputable journal in the industry, which relays news, facts and highlights their current research. Due to the GIA's exacting standards, they have made a name for themselves in the jewelry industry, most notably in issuing diamond reports. This is understandable; as they have created the grading system that the vast majority of jewelers adhere to. The 4 C's, the alphabetical D-Z color range and the clarity classification system have been created by the GIA. It is no wonder that with their strict standards and innovative research methods, the GIA is the leading lab in analyzing and grading stones.
European Gemological Laboratory (EGL)
Guy Margel, a gemology graduate from the American Gemological Society, founded the European Gemological Laboratory, commonly known as EGL. The first laboratory was opened in Antwerp, Belgium in 1974 and from then on, EGL became one of the most famous independent graders in the world, assisting diamond traders in assessing diamonds. EGL's mission statement is to take the guesswork out of buying diamonds by providing diamond grading consultations and certificates at internationally accepted standards. Their customers are professional diamond wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers and craftsmen in the diamond industry. They do not sell diamonds and are totally independent from any sales organizations. EGL conducts their business in an unbiased manner, without any influence from commercial interests. They have various locations worldwide, with one in South Africa, France, Israel and other countries. It should be noted, however, that EGL USA has no affiliations with any gemological labs outside of North America, so EGL USA is not associated with the original EGL established in Antwerp. In terms of diamond grading, EGL has slightly lower standards than GIA, often grading a diamond higher if its grade happens to be straddling two grades. After all, diamond grading is a subjective practice and assessing a diamond depends on the grader. A few good points that the EGL has, however, is that they are more time efficient and their reports are less expensive than the GIA's. In return, diamonds graded by EGL are considerably priced lower than GIA certified stones.
International Gemological Institute (IGI)
One of the oldest institutions established in Antwerp, Belgium, the International Gemological Institute was founded in 1975. They are one of the largest independent grader and appraisal organizations in the world. Their standard of excellence has earned a global reputation for integrity, precision and dependability. In diamond grading, IGI is on the same standard as the EGL. They are not as strict with their criteria, but do provide more detail in their reports by providing crown and pavilion angles. Diamond cutters usually send smaller stones to IGI for certification since their reports cost less than those from GIA, and like EGL stones, IGI certified diamonds cost less than those certified by GIA.
American Gem Society (AGS)
The American Gem Society was founded by GIA's own Robert M. Shipley in 1934. With their concern for ethical business practices and consumer protection, their goal is to maintain the highest standards of ethics and professionalism in the industry. The American Gem Society Laboratory, established in 1996, was founded in order to further protect consumers from fraud and the like. In grading diamonds, they are on the same standard as GIA, and are even stricter in their grading in some aspects. For example, they are the only laboratory that includes a "cut grade" between 0 and 10, 0 being fashioned after the Tolkowsky ideal cut, a cut set on mathematically based proportions applied to round brilliants. AGS certificates are also a much sought-after component to diamonds, though their criteria are slightly different from the norm.