This is the oldest trick in the book, and it is used by companies to increase their margins while tricking uneducated consumers with less strict certificates. You see an I SI2 diamond for $3,500, so you think вЂњWow, IвЂ™m saving about 20%!вЂќ In reality though, we feel the jeweler is deceiving you and you are overpaying about 20% by using the certificate that inflates the quality claims (based on our and othersвЂ™ observations). So here comes a jeweler who sells diamonds with IGI certificates. A typical one carat I1 (with all the other specs being equal), will cost about $3,000. Take a look at these two searches of SI2 and I1 diamonds for comparison:ДЄ typical one carat SI2 diamond will end up costing you around $4,000. In fact, we feel that you are likely getting a subpar deal if someone is selling you an IGI certified diamond. The problem is that we believe IGI reports donвЂ™t deliver on that. This allows you to compare the diamond to similar diamonds and make sure you are getting a fair deal. The reason why you must buy a diamond with legitimate certification is to give you peace of mind that the diamond you are getting is the quality the seller is claiming it to be. 2) Why Should You (the Consumer) Care About This? Now we will explain why this matters to you, the consumer. In our opinion, IGI simply does not function atВ the standards that reputable diamond laboratories hold themselves accountable to. Click on the color/clarity grades for respective certificates. *Click on the carat weight for aВ video of eachВ diamond. IGI inflated the qualities in eight of the ten possible grades ( color and clarity on each diamond). The results were predictable and unfortunate. We purchased five IGI certified diamonds and sent them to the gold standard of laboratories: GIA. We decided to put IGI to the test, given all the conflicting reports about their reliability. They work fast, and their prices are much better than GIAвЂ™s and AGSвЂ™s.Д«oth of these diamonds have an вЂњSI2вЂќ clarity grade.Д¬an you tell which is which? 1) IGI vs. They were the most popular gem lab for the major jewelry chains in the US and Canada (Kay, Zales, etc.)

The IGI started out as the blue color workhorse of the diamond business. We feel that an IGI certificates do not deliver that. ) The point of buying a diamond with an independent certificate is to get peace of mind that the diamond is the quality they claim.

James Allen does sell IGI certified diamonds as well, but we never recommend those. Only purchase from reputable vendors that sell diamonds certified by these labs (such as Blue Nile & Brian Gavin Diamonds. We recommend only buying a GIA or AGS certified diamond. Likewise, Dateline raised serious questions about IGIвЂ™s integrity in 2005 as pertains to their appraisal values. Certificates from any other sources are often questionable and should not be relied upon by insurers.вЂќ These reports are not appraisals and do not carry valuations. These are the most respected labs, known for their accuracy and professionalism. You may be tempted when you see a seemingly fantastic deal like this on Amazon, but its important to dig a bit deeper.Д®ven the largest jewelry insurance underwriter writes: вЂњThe most reliable diamond certificates (also called diamond reports) come from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS). While they may not be as terrible as some of the others, we feelВ that their grading is definitely more lax and less consistent than the standard bearers in the industry. IGI bills itself as a top-of-the-line laboratory, but in our opinionВ sadly that is not the case. We recommend sticking with these two types of certified diamonds at Blue Nile or James Allen. The best diamond certifications are GIA and AGS. For more information, check out our Lab Grown Diamond Certificate article. We will delineate our issues with IGIвЂ™s certification but this is not how we feel about IGI certification for Lab Grown Diamonds. *Important note: This article is focused on IGI certification for natural diamonds. We get commissions for purchases made from our affiliates through links in this article.

Igi certificates