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GCAL Lab Made

ajfc1987

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 7, 2016
Messages
3
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

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jul 21, 2004
Messages
9,150
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

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 7, 2016
Messages
3
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

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
926
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

Ideal_Rock
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Jul 21, 2004
Messages
9,150
ajfc1987|1465478923|4042156 said:
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

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 7, 2016
Messages
3
Thank you for your input
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 25, 2014
Messages
8,228
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

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Aug 5, 2009
Messages
340
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.
 
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