IGI reports for colored gems

[Katya DXB]

Hi All!
I was wondering if IGI has a better reputation with their gemstones grading than it does with diamonds? Would you feel safe buying a sapphire with an IGI gem report?
Thanks in advance

 

[Anne111]

Have not heard any complains for the European branch in Antwerp. Many sellers in EU use them.

 

[chrono]

I still go for other labs when it comes to sapphires.

 

[Katya DXB]

I still go for other labs when it comes to sapphires.

Thank you. May I ask why? Is there a particular element that you see being graded inconsistently?

 

[chrono]

I’m not sure how experienced they are, not what lab equipment they have for checking highly and commonly treated CS such as sapphire. I still feel more assurance with AGL, GIA, SSEF, and Gubelin.

 

[Nosean]

Lotus is an excellent choice too.

An Alexandrite from „Russia“ with an IGI report I would send to AGL - and quite sure you will be surprised about the result...

 

[Katya DXB]

Thank you all for your replies!

 

[Anne111]

Always the problem for us 3rd-world Europeans: all those labs are outside EU, so to get gems tested in the US or CH, you need either go through the hassle of declaring all goods over 25euros leaving the Union and then pay 25%VAT upon return, perhaps for the 2nd time. The only alternative to IGI in Antwerp is DSEF in Germany, AIG in Antwerp.
I know Antwerp used to be more about diamonds but with the old monopolies broken, it makes sense for IGI etc. to move into the CS business. They would be pretty stupid to ruin their future market by faking origins especially since it does not give them any advantage whatsoever. If I would be working at IGI, being the biggest gem lab in the world, I'd be rather p.... about generalized 'all cheaters' pronouncements without any proof. Similar to the discussion we had about 'all Thai labs being suspicious'.
That said, the very most expensive rubies and others are coming with two lab reports, simply because one can err, but with two labs it get's less likely.

 

[Katya DXB]

@Anne111
I wouldn’t think there’d be any intentional cheating, of course not. But when it comes to diamonds, I personally own two stones which were both graded by IGI and GIA, and IGI gave both one color grade higher. So I was wondering if they are softer when it comes to CS, too. I haven’t really thought about origin though, just the stone quality. Is it the origin that one needs to be particularly careful about?
I’m with you on the labs. I live in Dubai, and it takes 6-8 weeks to get a stone certified by GIA because they have to send it all the way to the US. They haven’t heard here of any of the labs other posters mentioned above. Beats me why, there is such a big market in the Middle East I’d imagine it would make a lot of sense for labs to be present here.

 

[chrono]

@Anne111
There are several SSEF and Gubelin locations in the EU.

 

[Nosean]

HRD in Belgium ( for Diamonds) too.

 

[IcePhoenix]

An Alexandrite from „Russia“ with an IGI report I would send to AGL - and quite sure you will be surprised about the result...

Hello, I can't help but ask myself: is it possible that I have a piece of glass or something else instead of an alexandrite certified by IGI India? I bought it from Catawiki, I have no indication of origin, a small stone (0.59 carats) which is green in natural light and purplish red under incandescent light

 

[Nosean]

Send your gem to another lab...
.......

The IGI report ( here from Mumbay) „suggest“ orign Russia.

The offered stones show a change/shift from nice green to greenish yellow (video) - for me no alexandrite btw.

Just a color shifting chrysoberyl...

 

[IcePhoenix]

Send your gem to another lab...

Any recommendation? Consider the fact that I don't have a lot of money

 

[Anne111]

@Anne111
There are several SSEF and Gubelin locations in the EU.

Where? That would be great news.

 

[chrono]

@Anne111

SSEF: Geneva, Paris, London, Antwerp, Monaco, Idar Oberstein
https://www.ssef.ch/how-to-submit/#on-site-testing

Gubelin: Lucerne, Geneva
http://www.gubelin.com/en/gemmology/gemlab/worldwide-location

 

[Anne111]

chrono, sorry, I've lived in Idar, there is nobody there except DSEF, and once a year testing-sites with the tradeshows don't count. Switzerland is not Europe, and these pick-up-shuttle offers still will have you declare full value on your gem and pay full insurance values, even if they manage to get your VAT back, which they do NOT guarantee, so you still run the risk of loosing 23% on the border. For any gem under 10.000 the shuttles are way to expensive, hassle aside.
I shipped a valuable gem to Guebbelin and they refused to ship it back the same way I shipped after testing though they had done the same thing before. 'Change of rules, meanwhile' was the terse explanation. I either had to drive to CH to bring the gem back in person or pay 23% on the border (I drove).
These lists with where-we-all-are and who easy our service is may look great online but that's all they do. They probably work OK for the big jewelry companies but not for us small fray end-consumer with a gem or two. If you have 50 diamonds tested a week, OK, but all else is no-go.

 

[arglthesheep]

Yes living in europe is a bit difficult regarding labs and good certs
There are a few in suisse as mentioned one in germany, which is not internationally regarded if you sell out of europe. So if you need a regarded cert you have to ship it oversea to US or othere dependencies of their labs (AGL, GIA; Lotus, AIGS)