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EGL Certification Verification

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AthleticGal

Rough_Rock
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Nov 5, 2008
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Hi, All -

I stumbled on this forum and am amazed at all the info available. Thanks to all!

I haven''t seen anything relating to my question so my apologies in advance if I''ve just overlooked this topic having already been addressed...

I (we) are considering purchasing a 3+ carat radiant sight unseen with the option of returning if the GIA appraisal doesn''t verify or come close to what is on the EGL Certification. As a precaution, today I searched the certification number on both the EGL USA and EGL Intl web-sites and both came back with ''no results''. The date on the certificaiton is 2006. When I called EGL USA I was told that it wasn''t a US assigned number, however, the seller said the stone was purchased in New York. I''ve emailed EGL Intl and am waiting for a response.

Should I be alarmed, concerned, etc? How should I (we) proceed, run the other direction or?

Any advice is appreciated.

AG
 
The EGL intl offices are not considered as accurate as EGL USA.

Purchased in NY is not the same as graded in the US.
 
HI:

If you have time, search and read some of the threads on EGL certification on the forum as it will put in context some of the comments you may receive. When you say GIA appraisal--do you mean an independent appraisal? ("GIA" does not do appraisals....)

At any rate, I think it is wise you are having an independent appraisal and have clarified the vendors return policy, because you may well find the appraisal does not match the EGL certification; the appraisal may find the EGL grading "soft".

Let us know what happens.

cheers--Sharon
 
My apologies, I meant ''GIA certification'' not ''GIA appraisal''.

Still wondering, though, if I should be concerned that I can''t pull up a report on either EGL USA or EGL Intl based on the EGL Certification number?
 
Date: 11/6/2008 12:31:11 AM
Author: AthleticGal
My apologies, I meant ''GIA certification'' not ''GIA appraisal''.

Still wondering, though, if I should be concerned that I can''t pull up a report on either EGL USA or EGL Intl based on the EGL Certification number?
Click to expand...
you are planning on sending the stone to GIA lab?
 
EGL International isn’t the most responsive organization in the world but they also have an online lookup system and sometimes you can do it yourself.

http://www.eglinternational.org/check_cert.htm

Yes, you should be concerned. If you’re going to rely on a 3rd party for grading information, it’s always important to understand in whom you’re placing your trust. Anyone who wants to can call themselves a gemological lab but you don’t have to care. If you can’t convince yourself that the lab opinion has merit, don’t rely on it. What to do instead is to either simply avoid the stone entirely or hire an expert that you DO consider to be reliable.

‘Come close’? Is that what they said? Good grief. How about this. Arrange to look at the stone, show it to your chosen expert and decide if you want it IF GIA will grade it as they say. Assuming so, have them send it to GIA for full grading. If it comes back as described (not ‘close’), you buy it for the full asking price, you pay the GIA fees including shipping and go your merry way. If it comes back less, they pay the fees and you part ways. You owe nothing. Sound fair right? Dollars to donuts they decline this offer because they don't trust their chosen grader, even though they've got a big sale hanging on the outcome. If they won't trust their own chosen lab, why should you?

If they refuse to stand behind their own lab, don't just hold it against the lab, hold it against the dealer. This tells you that they are trying to get you to make a big money decision based on a report that they KNOW to be unreliable. This tells you far more about the dealer than it does about the stone.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver
 
Please exercise real caution here. I fully agree with Neil on this and would not go through with the transaction until you have it sent to GIA. Even if they say they will return it their word is not enough and their assessment of what is ''close enough'' may be very different to yours. for examples of ''what not to'' in relation to EGL / GIA please see my personal experience ''engagement ring disaster'' on this forum. i won''t bore you with the details here but EGL International grade was F, VVS2 and GIA was H, VVS1.... quite a difference!

i finally got through to the EGL office in antwerp to verify my cert (after not being able to do it on the internet either) the man told me angrily that they do not work past 12pm local time and to call back. i kept calling back during the correct times 9-12pm and no-one answered and the message machine said ''full''. when i got through a week later he did verify the certificate but rushed me when i asked him to verify anything other than the size and colour of the stone. suffice to say it does not seem to be a particularly professional operation.

very best of luck, but please learn from our mistakes and do not take the jewelers word for the accuracy of the cert or their return if GIA doesn''t match.
 
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