SureCert Trustworthy or IGA/IGI only?

[biggerdunk]

Hi,

A lady in a shop (which sold IGI certified diamonds) said I should only trust IGI/IGA certified stones. Is this true? I've found a shop which cells SureCert diamonds (which granted, do appear quite a lot cheaper).

Should I trust them?

Many thanks,
Chris

 

[JulieN]

GIA or AGS reports are the most reliable.

 

[Christina...]

Labs like IGI, EGL are often off by several color and clarity grades making it impossible to know what you're purchasing, make comparisons, or know if you are paying a fair price.

 

[eleana]

I think GIA and AGS is the best.

 

[ecf8503]

Absolutely not - GIA or AGS only for reasons stated above. Remember she is trying to sell you something...

 

[denverappraiser]

If you recognize a pattern where one particular lab seems to produce stones that seem to be similar to others in description but are consistently less expensive, be attentive. There's more to the story. The lab fees aren’t all that high in the first place and the difference in fees isn’t all that much. We're talking dozens of dollars on a purchase that costs thousands. The people submitting stones to the various labs make their selection strategically. It’s about the money. They want to use a lab that they think will produce the MOST money at the end of the day and if using a particular lab would be expected to result in a discount, they would never use that lab except for one tiny detail. Discount from what? If the selection of lab results in an upgrade, the stone may bring more even with a discount. The stone doesn’t change, just the paper, so as a shopper it’s terribly important to be sure you’re making a fair comparison of the STONES. This can be difficult and the first step is to assess the credibility of the lab you’re relying on. If you find them to be unworthy of your trust, don’t just discount their opinions, ignore it.

If you recognize a pattern of a particular lab where superficially similar stones have very different prices within the same marketplace, or even at the same dealer, this is evidence of a variation within the grades. The dealers are telling you that one X grade is better or worse than another of the same grade from the same lab. Dig into it. THEY are seeing something that makes them importantly different and if it’s not the reported grade, what is it? Again, if you find a lab or advisor to be unreliable, don’t rely on them.

 

[Gypsy]

Absolutely not - GIA or AGS only for reasons stated above. Remember she is trying to sell you something...

This. She's lying to you because she has an agenda.