CERTIFIED DIAMOND DOES NOT MATCH THE REPORT

CERTIFIED DIAMOND DOES NOT MATCH THE GIA DIAMOND REPORT

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Richard Scott

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Certified Diamond Does Not Match The Diamond-Report

Look Out!

There are some Scary Diamond Switching Frauds going on Today with Diamonds and their Diamond Reports (Certificates as Most People Call them).

Diamonds are Being Swapped Out!

They are being Sold and they don’t Match the Paperwork, Report or Appraisal they come with. In Fact, the Stones being Sold are Lower in Clarity, Lower in Color, or Lower in Both! Usually it’s just one Grade Lower, but I wouldn’t be Surprised to see them WAY OFF.

You may be Getting Ripped Off and Don’t even Know it!

People Buy Certified Stones Believing that it keeps them from being Taken, Ripped off, or Mislead. But that could be the Very Thing that Makes them Vulnerable.

People see that a Stone is Certified by GIA (the BEST there is in the Industry), so they Tend to Feel Safe and Believe that the Report is Accurate with the Clarity and Color of the Diamond.

They think they’re making a Good Buying Choice!

It’s GIA! It’s Certified!

How can you go Wrong?

You go Wrong by Not Double Checking the Quality of the Stone bought. You just take their Word for it!

Just because a Stone comes with an Expensive Looking, Laminated and Hologramed Report, doesn’t mean that it goes with that Particular Stone.

It could be a Deception!

Here’s how some Unscrupulous Jewelers and People do it…

They have two Diamonds. One Diamond is of Higher Clarity/and/or/Color than the other. Both Stones are Pretty much the Same Carat Weight so they’ll pass a Visual Comparison Test. One Stone is certified by GIA, the other is not. The Lower Quality Stone is Sold with the GIA Report and the Store or Person makes Thousands of Dollars More!!!

Let’s do an Example…

Say you have a Diamond that’s 1.00 Carat, VVS1 Clarity and E Color (Like these Diamonds HERE!) The Second Diamond is 1.00 Carat, SI1 Clarity with G Color (Like these Stones HERE!)

Side by side you Might be Able to tell them Apart (wouldn’t be Easy though). One Diamond may Face up a Little Brighter and Whiter, but that’s Not Easy for the Average Person to see with an Untrained Eye. You wouldn’t Notice the Difference in Clarity because both Stones have Only Microscopic Inclusions. The Color of the one Stone may be the only Visual Clue… maybe! The Carat Weight Size is the Same between these Stones… So there’s not much to tell them apart.

The VVS1, E, Diamond Retails for $11,000 and up. The SI1, G, Diamond Retails for $4,600 and up.

That’s a $7,000 Difference!!!

And it would be so Easy for Anyone, Someone, could be a Shady Jeweler, could be an Individual Selling on eBay or Craig’s List, could be your Neighbor, Friend, or the Little Old Lady at the Library… They put the Lower Grade Stone with the Higher Grade Report and Viola, the Stone suddenly Looks Better. It Appears like it has Higher Quality and it will Sell for MORE!

People see the Report and Believe it!

Who would know the Difference?

After all, that’s what Reports are for…

You could have gotten Ripped off for $7,000 and never even knew it!

Not Cool!

Could this Happen to you?

Certainly!

How often do you Check the Info on the Report against the Actual Stone?

Do you Measure the Stone? Compare the mm Sizes to the Document Report?

Do you Scope the Flaws and Check them against the Flaws drawn on the Diamond Plot?

Do you Weight the Stone to make sure that the Cart Weight is Correct?

Probably NOT!

But Jewelers Do!

You can Bet that when Jewelers Buy Stones, either from Customers or Vendors, that they Double Check these things!

And it could get Trickier…

The Two Diamonds could be Identical in Every Way, Except the one Stone could have Fluorescence (it Glows-in-the-Dark under UV Lighting). And unless you carry around a Black Light, you’d never know it. That one Characteristic could Reduce the Price of the Stone by 10-20%.

Would you know?

You see, it would be so Easy to get Ripped off. It’s kind of Scary! Just because it’s Certified doesn’t mean it’s Factual!

How do you Protect Yourself?

You Double Check!

Don’t take the Seller’s Word for it. Check it out for Yourself. Buy the Tools to Check the Diamond out (like a mm Gauge, Master Color Grading Stones, 10x Jeweler’s Loupe or Gem Microscope, Diamond Scale, Diamond Measurement Charts…) so you can Measure the mm, Weight the Stone, Test the Color, View the Clarity yourself.

Just about everything listed on a Diamond Report can be Tested. Or you can even take the Stone to a Local Jeweler and have them Verify the Report. Independent Jewelers usually always carry these Tools on hand. They’ll be able to Weigh the Stone, Test it on a Colorimeter, View the Clarity… They have the Proper Equipment to Grade Diamonds and Test those Grades! Right There, Right Then!

Or you could take it one Step Further. Something Better. Something Easier… (Almost Fool Proof… ALMOST!)

Buy Diamonds that are Laser Inscribed!

Laser Inscriptions

Some Diamonds Sold are Laser Inscribed. That’s when the Certification Company (who Grades the Stone), Etches the Diamond Report Number directly onto the Diamond Girdle (Edge of the Diamond). If the Stone is Inscribed, it will say so right on the Report. You can View these Inscriptions under a 10x Microscope to Verify the Numbers on the Diamond Match the Numbers on the Report.

It’s a Quick and Easy Way to Verify the Stone. It’s Identification that Protects your and your Investment!

Double Check the Quality (Match the Flaws on the Diamond Plot). Test the Report Findings. Buy Laser Inscribed Stones!

Because Buying a Diamond with a GIA Diamond Report is Highly Recommended, but not if you get something other than stated.

That’s Bad News for Everyone!

Double Check Always!

View the Inscription under a 10x Microscope. Match it to the Certificate. It’s the Simplest Way to Tell.

Also note that I have used GIA as an Example here, but this could be done with any Diamond and any Diamond Reports! Whether it be GIA, IGI, AGS, EGL or any of the other Thousand Certificate Companies. Any of them could be Swapped out and a Lower Grade Stone put in it’s place.

So look at the Stone well

Buy only from a Reputable Jeweler. Check the BBB listings of the Company. Check out their Return Policies and Warranties. Compare Different Diamonds of the Same Quality you’re Buying. Do they look similar? Check the Diamond Report. Does it look like the Actual Stone being shown? Is the Stone Laser Inscribed? Do the Inclusions Match?

Get a Second Opinion!

One of the Best Ways to Verify a Stone’s Quality is to take the Diamond to an Independent Appraiser (you can find them in the Yellow Pages). Have them do an Appraisal on the Stone and Verify the Report. They will Check the Stone under Correct Lighting. They’ll use a 10x Microscope to View the Flaws with a Trained Eye. They’ll Match the Color of the Diamond to a Master Color Matching Stone Set (Stones with all the Proper Color Grades for Comparison). They’ll Double Check the mm Sizes and Weigh the Diamond. They’ll then give you a Realistic Appraisal Price for Insurance Purposes.

This is the Best Way for Most People to Check

Because why Buy a Certified Diamond if it’s not the Right Stone?

P.S. If a Stone you like is not Laser Inscribed, you can always Ask the Jeweler to send it back to the Certification Company and have the Report Numbers Etched onto the Stone. This will Cost More Money, take More Time, but it’s a Small Price to Pay for Peace of Mind.

Or…

Send it to GIA Yourself!

Anyone can Submit their Stone directly to GIA and have the Gradings Verified as well. There will be a Fee Involved. If you want more Info about GIA’s Report Services, Go Here. It’s meant for both Jewelers and Customers alike. Read their Directions good so you Submit your Diamond/Diamond Ring the Porper Way, and to the Proper Location!