Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a jewelry enthusiast, one thing never changes. You will always want to buy a diamond that is real and certified. This gives your stone even more value not just with the way it looks, but also on official documentation. One example of this is EGL diamond grading reports.
Understanding the EGL Diamond Grading Report
Because of these reports, many buyers want to authenticate their diamonds with certifications. Currently, many jewelers follow a variety of grading institutions that provide certifications for diamonds. Among the most popular is the GIA grading.
However, another less known grading report is the EGL standard. If you have always been buying GIA-graded stones and or if you want to know “Which diamond grading lab is best?” here are a few things you may want to know about the EGL grading.
What is EGL Grading
The European Gemological Laboratory, or EGL, was formed over 30 years ago in Belgium. The thrust of the institution is to ensure the integrity of the jewelry industry. It also aims to bring in new techniques and perspectives in grading and certifying diamonds.
This institution has been credited especially for grading less than one-carat diamonds. The EGL introduced the SI3 rating for diamond clarity.
Grading using the EGL standards
Similar to the GIA, the EGL standards examine and rate different facets of a diamond accordingly. To understand the question, “What does EGL certified mean?” it’s important to know what are the different factors considered for EGL grading.
A lower price point for EGL
Despite similarities in the characteristics examined in diamonds, GIA still seems more superior to EGL, For starters, diamonds with a GIA rating usually have a higher price point compared to those on EGL diamond grading reports.
Color and clarity
Of the four Cs, two are comparable between the GIA and EGL. Yet it’s important to remember that the two institutions may not necessarily give the same rating for the same stone.
The GIA gives a lower rating for diamonds that have a tinge of color. For EGL, the absence of a yellow tinge can already bring up the rating as it is viewed from the perspective of a “lesser yellow” rather than the lack of yellow altogether.
EGL’s biggest difference lies in its SI3 clarity rating, which it uses to further rate different higher I-rated diamonds. On the other hand, the GIA grading scale for clarity maintains six grades, with Flawless as the highest, and Included for diamonds of lesser value.
Avoiding misleading certifications
Buyers should also understand the differences between different EGL institutions. On the grand scale of things, the institutions used to be an entire network of institutions across Europe. However, EGL USA split and formed its own institution to cater strictly to the North American territory in 1986.
Because of this, there are other institutions that give out the EGL rating without necessarily following the same practices as EGL USA. For instance, there are some diamonds graded with EGL Israel or EGL International. Some jewelry experts often caution buyers to be discerning in the diamonds that buyers procure. Differences in the specific institutions that give the certification may make a significant difference in the diamond’s overall grading.
GIA vs EGL: What’s The Difference?
Buyers can access many different certifying bodies and institutions for their gemstones. The top two accessible to different individuals globally are GIA and EGL.
The former has been a world-renowned laboratory for certifications. On the other hand, EGL, with its many branches and affiliations within and outside the US., may have mixed reception.
What is the GIA diamond grading?
First, it’s important to understand the most known grading institution for diamonds. The Gemological Institute of America was established in 1931 as a non-profit institution for education and grading of the gemstone trade.
Founded by Robert Shipley, the GIA follows a strict diamond grading system. Its reputation for this has been proven by some of its achievements, which include grading the Hope Diamond. It also established the 4Cs of grading diamonds, which has often been used by buyers around the world to ascertain their specific purchase.
What makes EGL-USA stand out?
Given its worldwide popularity, you may ask, “Is EGL a good diamond certificate?” If there is a way to get a GIA certificate, why go for anything less. Contrary to popular expectation, GIA does not dominate the grading certification demand. Some jewelry buyers, especially those in the U.S., sometimes prefer EGL ratings.
Some buyers would go for EGL ratings for diamonds with less than one carat. In today’s economy, less than one-carat diamonds have become a common preference for buying jewelry. This particular size makes for a fairly good engagement ring and an even better addition to a wedding band. For instance, this pave diamond wedding band has smaller stones for the wedding band, which can benefit from an EGL certification.
Speed of appraisal
Customers require certification for varied reasons. Some may need it for future investments for their stones. Others may want it as a means of immediately selling a diamond.
If you belong in the latter category, you may want to consider EGL certification, if only for the speed of turnover. Compared to the GIA or even the AGS, the EGL has a speedier process of certification and return to merchants. This means less time than they need the diamonds outside of their stores or inventories and more time to allow customers and potential buyers to see the rock or the ring up close.
Less expensive verification
So is EGL a good diamond certificate? If you want to have your diamond verified without having to break the bank, then it’s a good idea to go for EGL certification.
Some buyers may be appraising their diamonds for personal reasons. For others, they may be merchants looking to have an official certificate for the diamond they are selling. EGL can save a diamond appraiser up to 20% of the cost compared to having GIA appraise the same stone.
A new clarity grading: SI3
One achievement that EGL holds is the inclusion of an SI3 clarity grading. Diamond buyers and sellers know that clarity is one of the factors considered when purchasing a diamond.
This factor assesses the kinds and number of inclusions in the diamond. The lower the rating towards “I” or “Included,” the more inclusions can be seen under magnification or even by the naked eye. Obviously, many jewelry buyers will not want to have an included diamond.
With EGL, diamond merchants can attain a clarity grading of SI3. This ensures that the stone is not given an “I” rating, but may still have an actual clarity appearance in the same league. For merchants, this will be a huge advantage, as it appears to give the diamond an edge over a GIA-rated I stone.
Examining The Quality Of Diamonds
EGL rated diamonds may seem to have a big advantage over GIA, especially for some very practical aspects. Because of this, you may already be considering an EGL-rated diamond over any other grading institution. However, it’s good to examine the quality and effect of the differences between the certifying institutions. This lets you avoid potential issues like the lack of quality in diamonds later on.
Looking at SI3: The pros and cons
At first glance, SI3 may seem like the best way to get out of an included rating. Merchants get an obvious benefit from this, but how will this affect diamond buyers? Some may now ask, are EGL diamonds bad?
As an owner of a diamond, it may help to have an EGL-rated diamond if you want to make it look better on record. This may be a good step, especially if you are not in the process of selling the diamond.
Besides sales, diamond certifications are there to give consumers peace of mind that their diamonds are real. However, one common downside lies in the actual worth of the certified diamonds, as reflected by the 4Cs.
A bad side to SI3: Buyers’ lack of confidence
As with other certifying institutions, the EGL is not without its downsides. Perhaps the biggest would be the SI3, especially with its reputation.
In the industry, some jewelry enthusiasts tend to avoid the SI3 rating. They do not appreciate the lack of actual differentiation between an included diamond and better diamonds from the same “I” family.
Buyers may suffer the dilemma of not truly seeing the value of the difference between diamonds. The SI3 rating has the same rating as the GIA’s I1 and I2 grades. For the worst cases, some buyers may feel misled by the rating. It’s because the classification does not truly help ascertain if the diamonds are very much included or not.
Adding a new factor in the grading chart
By adding another level for the EGL diamond grading chart with the SI3, some diamond owners may not truly get the value of their diamonds. Some higher-grade I1 diamonds may be lumped in the same category as lower I1 diamonds.
With GIA, this may not be such a big worry, especially with its stringent criteria. When one crosses over to EGL ratings, a buyer may pay slightly higher for a diamond with less quality.
Many first-time or inexperienced buyers may encounter a couple of disadvantages here. It’s easy to miss out on these details if you do not yet truly understand and know the differences between clarity grades. For instance, rings with many gemstones, such as this previously owned TW diamonds on a band, maybe harder to accurately rate if there are a lot of SI3 stones using EGL certification.
Why You Need To Buy Certified Diamonds
Still, at the end of the day, some buyers will only want certified diamonds to ensure that their stone is real and has value. An EGL diamond report check, with its fast and cheaper processing, can give this peace of mind.
Whether you prefer the more well-known institutions like GIA or want to try the more affordable route of EGL, it’s important to highlight the need for certification.
Why certification matters
Whether these are EGL diamond vs GIA gemstones, certifications serve as your stone’s proof of identity. It does not matter if you are a jewelry collector or an avid wearer. The authenticity of a stone can make all the difference.
Since certification reflects the characteristics of the diamond, it can reflect even those that cannot be seen by the naked eye. For example, diamond polish and symmetry are rarely examined without magnification. At first glance, these may not matter for your diamond.
Some buyers appreciate the craftsmanship of the diamond cutter or the jewelry maker. Certification shows whether the stone has high-quality polish or symmetry. This adds to the character of the stone.
Diamond valuation: What is it for?
For individuals who invest in jewelry, the valuation may be just as important. Valuation comes after an appraisal of the gem’s worth. A valuation certificate indicates how much the diamond is worth if you need it for insurance or for selling purposes.
Buying from trusted jewelers
Jewelers not only know the meaning of GIA and EGL diamond grading reports. They also know where their diamonds are sourced from.
If you have a trusted seller, you may get better recommendations before you buy. They will also likely recommend if a particular SI3-rated diamond really has a high value or if it may have a lower grading compared to its GIA counterpart. In some cases, trusted jewelers may even offer the full service of not only sourcing but also setting your diamond, so you will only have to deal with one seller in having an engagement ring or wedding band made.
Certification always ensures that what you have is real. It all starts with having a trusted jewelry seller from whom you can buy. From here, it helps to have a certificate as proof of your diamond’s value and character, especially if you plan to make one an investment or heirloom in the future.
If you want to know more about investing in jewelry, check out our article, “From Gifts To Investments: Why You Should Buy Gold Jewelry Now.”