Does Brian Gavin sell “AGS Certified Diamonds”?

Hi Danny, I’m shopping for an engagement ring and my head is swimming with all the conflicting advice that seems to be floating around out there. While I think that I’m beginning to understand the differences between diamonds graded as GIA Excellent and AGS Ideal, in terms of the differences between the grading platforms, I am a bit confused as to whether I need to buy a diamond which is AGS Certified as opposed to merely being lab graded. My local AGS Certified Jeweler is telling me that they sell diamonds which are certified by the AGSL, not just lab graded. But from what I’ve read online, the diamond grading labs do not actually certify diamonds, they grade them. Can you provide me with clarification? Thanks. – Victor S.

Lab Graded Diamonds vs Certified Diamonds:

Independent gemological laboratories such as the American Gem Society Laboratory (AGSL) and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) do not issue diamond grading certificates, nor do they certify diamonds, they issue reports which state the characteristics of the diamond, at the time it is graded.

Both the AGSL and GIA publish statements on their diamond grading reports, or in the case of the AGSL, their Diamond Quality Document (DQD) indicating that “this report is not a guarantee or evaluation” and nowhere on the document does it infer that it is a certificate of any kind. I suppose that at some point the practice of referring to “diamond grading reports” as “diamond grading certificates” took hold at the retail sales counter because it might have sounded more impressive to say that a diamond was certified, as opposed to being lab graded.

However as a member of the diamond industry, I tend to cringe whenever I hear a “professional” in the business use the term diamond grading certificate, or refer to a diamond as being certified, because it seems to me that somebody in the business should know the difference, and should not promote the use of terminology which contributes to the myth of lab certified diamonds.

The AGS Diamond Quality Certificate:

There is one point of clarification that needs to be made regarding diamonds which might be accompanied by an AGS Diamond Quality Certificate, which the American Gem Society recently chose to make available to retail jewelry stores which are members of the AGS.

The AGS Diamond Quality Certificate which is pictured to the left, is not issued with the understanding that the American Gem Society Laboratory is certifying the quality of the diamond, rather it has created a diamond grading report format which provides a space for the jeweler who is selling the diamond to sign the document, and in doing so certify that the diamond is of the quality stated on the diamond grading report.

The signature line which appears in the lower right corner of the AGS Diamond Quality Certificate reads “Signature of American Gem Society Titleholder” and interestingly enough the document does not appear to provide any sort of wording which implies that the quality of the diamond described on the diamond grading certificate is actually being certified as being anything, beyond the document heading which reads “Diamond Grading Certificate” under the logo of the American Gem Society.

The description provided on the details page for this diamond grading report format which is now being offered by the AGSL reads:

“A diamond grading report is an opinion of the laboratory issuing the report. Although the diamond grading report is an expert opinion it is not a guaranty from a legal perspective. The Diamond Quality® Certificate is a legal statement from the issuing AGS retailer, guaranteeing authenticity and quality, as well as certifying the diamond cut grade, color grade, clarity grade, and carat weight of the diamond.”

“The Diamond Quality® Certificate is authenticated and validated by an American Gem Society diamond professional — either a Registered Jeweler, Certified Gemologist, or Certified Gemologist Appraiser. Their commitment to the tenets of the American Gem Society — Proven Ethics, Knowledge, and Consumer Protection — is your assurance of quality and value.”

Thus it is fair to assume that the American Gem Society Laboratory still does not certify diamonds, nor issue diamond grading certificates, which they stand behind in terms of liability, but rather they have merely provided a report format which makes it possible for AGS member jewelry stores to “certify” the diamonds which they sell, and in reality this changes nothing, because it has always been the responsibility of the seller to stand behind the stated quality of the diamonds which they represent.