Three Major Diamond Grading Labs

Many people call or email their jeweler with questions about diamond grading laboratories. So, this article will give you some more information about the three main diamond grading labs and how to make your best choice for a stone. These three labs are; GIA, EGL and AGS.
Let's begin with AGS, which is the smallest of the three labs. AGS stands for American Gem Society and they are based in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are primarily known for their grading of round diamonds. In fact, they have created the AGS000 designation that indicates an Ideal cut, Ideal polish and Ideal symmetry. AGS has very high diamond grading standards, very similar to GIA.

GIA is one of the largest diamond grading labs and they are based in Carlsbad, California. Their initials stand for Gemological Institute of America. GIA is considered the "standard" of the diamond grading industry because of their large size and their strict and consistent grading. They have recently made some important changes to their certificates that now include a cut grade for round diamonds as well as a Sarin report with all of the important angles and dimensions.

The third main diamond grading lab is EGL. They have laboratories throughout the world, including the USA, Israel and Belgium. Their initials stand for European Gemological Laboratory. While EGL is a major lab, their grading standards are slightly more "loose" than AGS or GIA. This means an H color diamond from one of the other labs could receive a G color. You could expect about the same amount of variance in clarity as well. This is normal and to be expected, because as a rule, EGL diamonds are somewhat less expensive than AGS or GIA-graded stones.

Now that you have know more about the three main diamond grading labs you will know what to expect when you are looking for a certified diamond.

Contributing Abazias Diamonds Staff Writer

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