Dufau gemological labratories

[deuteriumhusky]

Is Daufau gemological laboratories a legitimate laboratory to get a stone certified from? A friend of mine is offering me a sapphire with a certificate from said lab. They claim that their accredited but I'm skeptical about the quality of the laboratories apprasial given that they're not well known. Thanks

 

[pregcurious]

I'm not familiar with that lab. If I were going to buy an expensive sapphire, I would only consider AGL or GIA for US Labs. For a sapphire, i would prefer AGL. I am sure others will chime in about labs outside of the US.

 

[T L]

They have a website, but no way to confirm the lab report (do they??).

I personally don't trust small labs for corundum.

 

[eastjavaman]

Where are you located?

 

[beats]

I just google that lab, I assume you live in US or indonesia.

if you live in US, just send ur stone to AGL. AGL run by one of the best gemologist in the world.

if you live in indonesia,try to contact mahardi, he was my classmate back in GIA - santa monica. He was an excellent gemologist, and I hoped he kept his knowledge up to date. If you deal with expensive gem, however, send it to lotus (for corundum and spinel) or GRS in Thailand.

Recently, several customers of mine showed me a lot of chalcedony with some indonesia lab's certs (unfortunately, I cannot tell you the name of the lab). These certs do not mention the fact that these chalcedony has been dyed or/and "painted".

 

[chrono]

I wouldn't accept it for corundum. If in Asia, send it to these labs in Bangkok: Lotus, GIA, Gubelin, or SSEF. GRS and AIGS are also in Bangkok but they are not my top choices for corundum.

 

[WinterTundra]

Given the experience that I had, I assume you're based in Indonesia. Am I right?

There's a well known lab in Indonesia named AGL and I think that's the most legitimate lab there. If you're going to buy a corundum and it's in high price, I suggest you ask the seller to have it checked in AGL as people recognize it as the best lab in Indonesia and also the lab with the most complete equipments. As for less known laboratories, I think it's alright to give it a try. In my experience of judging labs, it's best to ask if you can have a small talk with one of their gemologists or assistant. Give them simple questions, it could be about treatments in colored stones, equipments, or methods. See how they respond and that's how I got my judgement.

You have to be cautious over new laboratories, particularly new ones. I found some cases where the laboratories weren't being sure and were ambiguous. I would think that if they weren't sure, it's better to give the stones back to customers instead of certified them when they weren't sure themselves. I'm sorry to say but when I was in Indonesia, I found out that some of the small labs were not trustable. Laboratories have to, have to have integrity. Not merely focus on collecting customers. It's science.

 

[T L]

For a lab to properly test corundum for any and all possible treatments, it MUST have access to a LIBS or LA-ICP-MS machine, and I don't care how skilled or great the gemologist is, sometimes you require those machines.

WinterTundra,
The only AGL I know of is in NYC, and I hope they're not using that acronym to confuse people into thinking they're associated with the NYC AGL, which is the premier lab in the world for colored stones.

 

[Afterglow]

Which Lab do people recommend in Australia?

 

[WinterTundra]

TL, I'm sorry. Should've mentioned this AGL in Indonesia is Adamas Gemological Laboratory and don't worry that it might confuse people into thinking it's the NYC AGL. When you mention AGL to people in the market there, they'll think about Indonesian AGL not the NYC one.

Agree. It doesn't matter how skilled and experienced a gemologist is, if a very required equipment or machine isn't there, the result becomes doubtful. I'm saying this with respect, it's too bad that I found some local small labs there didn't take it seriously. To me it was more like they did it based on their hunches and guess instead of fact and prove.

 

[Arcadian]

TL, I wonder if they mean these guys:

http://www.agl-igp.com/about_team.php

If so acronyms are the same but, totally different lab. It happens I guess. I don't see them trying to fool anyone into thinking they're apart of AGL NY.

 

[T L]

TL, I wonder if they mean these guys:

http://www.agl-igp.com/about_team.php

If so acronyms are the same but, totally different lab. It happens I guess. I don't see them trying to fool anyone into thinking they're apart of AGL NY.

It's a little disconcerting, that's all, because people can get confused, whether the acronym was intentional or not.

 

[T L]

Agree. It doesn't matter how skilled and experienced a gemologist is, if a very required equipment or machine isn't there, the result becomes doubtful. I'm saying this with respect, it's too bad that I found some local small labs there didn't take it seriously. To me it was more like they did it based on their hunches and guess instead of fact and prove.

That's very scary.

All I know is that the head gemologist at AGL looked at my sapphire, and even though he's one of the most highly respected gemologists in the world, he still had to send my stone off to an LA-ICP-MS machine. No amount of teaching can tell you how to diagnostically spot something if you need highly specialized equipment to analyze it. Thanks.