Sending diamond to a lab
I have a diamond ring given to me my by my parents. I went to Kay's in a mall to get it appraised and they said it was about 3/4carat, with very good clarity and quality. However, they said that I should get it sent in to be certified so that I could get the exact quality for either selling it or for identification later on. My question is this: is it safe to hand over my ring, which has no identification right now, for them to send it in to be certified? I think they said it would be through GIA. My mom said I shouldn't hand it over or let it out my sight, since they could just switch the diamond without me knowing. Thoughts?
Hi Dennis,
Your diamond actually can be identified without being sent to a lab. All you need to identify a diamond is its plotting (a mapping with clarity characteristics of your diamond). A diamond's plotting is like a human's fingerprint. It's only unique to an individual. This is a much better way to identify a diamond then laser inscription (which can be manipulated by man very easily). You can get the plotting along with all the diamond's other characteristics locally and in person by an accredited appraiser. For some reason if you still need to send it off to a lab, you would have a way to identify your diamond when it comes back. However, keep in mind that labs (i.e. GIA, AGS, IGI, EGL, etc.) DO NOT CERTIFY diamonds. Certify means to guarantee; labs do not provide any sort of guarantee with a lab grading report. They say it very clearly in their very long semi-hidden disclaimers. Have a great day!
