GCAL Lab Made

[ajfc1987]

Hi, just joined this forum and I've already learned a ton!

My question is this: I have been looking for a lab created diamond to the criteria below and all I can find is either GCAL or IGI certs. I am leaning towards GCAL from Brilliant Earth, how reputable are these institutions? Thanks in advance for the help.

Carat: 1-1.1
Color: I-H
Clarity: VS1/2
Cut: Ideal
Fluorescence: None
Symmetry: Excellent

 

[denverappraiser]

GCAL is a fine outfit, although to avoid confusion, theyr'e a grading company, not a manufacturer. They and IGI are the dominant players in the business of grading manmade diamonds at the moment.

That said, I don't see a question in there. Can you rephrase it please?

 

[ajfc1987]

Would there be a lot of risk in getting a GCAL graded lab created diamond from Brilliant Earth? (I'm very new to this)

 

[ChristineRose]

GCAL is better than GIA actually. GCAL includes an extensive light performance report, and many super premium stones come with both a GCAL and a GIA. Having a GIA certificate does give you a baseline to compare to, but other than that the GCAL has all the same information. It's kind of like comparing a GIA to an AGS. Both are reliable but the cut grades don't always match.

 

[denverappraiser]

Would there be a lot of risk in getting a GCAL graded lab created diamond from Brilliant Earth? (I'm very new to this)

The reason you see so few GIAs in the lab grown business is that they use a seriously abbreviated report on these. They don't assign a cut grade at all, and they don't use their complete ranges for either clarity or color. Instead of SI1 and SI2, there's only SI for example. It doesn't make the report useless, but it's close. I agree, GCAL is the best lab out there for this.

As with all diamond deals, your primary level of trust is with the dealer. The point of the lab is to confirm or refute things that the dealer is telling you, not the reverse. Is BE credible? It's easy enough to search the forum and elsewhere to see what others think of them, which you probably SHOULD do, but they have lots of fans and darned few detractors around here. That's a good sign.

 

[ajfc1987]

Thank you for your input

 

[OoohShiny]

I believe that most Credit Card companies offer an additional level of protection on purchases, so you may wish to use a CC for the peace of mind it would bring in a 'worst case scenario'.

 

[jeaniefish]

Just be aware that BE has a one time only return for full refund if you aren't happy with the diamond. After that, BE will only give you credit towards a future purchase. That makes it challenging to find “ the one” unless you get lucky on the first order. I did not so am hesitant to order there again.