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Diamond Grades and Diamond Grading, Certificates

There are many grading systems and certifiers out there for loose diamonds. The most prominent figures found in America would be the G.I.A. (Gemological Institue of America), and the E.G.L. (European Gemological Laboratory).

There are many similarities and differences between the two. For example, they both use the same color system, and mostly the same clarity system. However, it is widely believed that the G.I.A. is more strict than the E.G.L. in their evaluations, that's why G.I.A. certified diamonds are generally slightly more expensive.

The G.I.A. is a non-profit organization available only in America. They operate from only two locations. On the other hand, the E.G.L. is found all over the world, with a total of nine individually owned and operated companies. They have a SI3 grading for the clarity of a diamond, which the G.I.A. does not. The line between SI3 and I1 quality is largely controversial with many debates on where one ends and the other one begins.

Even though most jewellers rank G.I.A. superior, the E.G.L. certificates from Los Angeles and New York are also ranked far better than other E.G.L.s from around the world. Also, most of the very expensive, high quality diamonds come in G.I.A. instead of E.G.L..