Why is gemstone certification important and which certificate to choose?

08.03.2022 / News

The certificate is the identity card of your stone. It guarantees the authenticity of a stone and helps to compare with similar stones in the market. Gemstone certificate makes it easier to negotiate on the world stage. At Holemans we work with gemstone for almost a century. In this article we share our experience in gems certification.

We will speak about:

  • Which parameters in gems certificate?
  • Which parameters from the gem certificate influence the price?
  • Where do we request the gems certificate?
  • What is specific about diamond certification?
  • How to verify the diamond certificate?

When we are choosing a gemstone, love comes at first sight. It is essential to select a stone that will appeal to you by its beauty and the harmony of the final piece.

In this article, we will focus on gemstone certificates for precious stones. 

Which parameters in gems certificate?

For colored stones, the certificate usually indicates the following parameters: The name, the identification (for example, a natural ruby), the weight in carats, the cut, the color, the shape, the treatment and the origin. Certain parameters on the gemstone certificate will have an impact on the price of the gemstone.

Natural gemstones are formed in nature with no interference from humans. If a stone is identified as natural, it will be more expensive and rarer.

Natural, untreated sapphires are very rare and more valuable than treated sapphires.

Which parameters from the gem certificate influence the price?

The origin of the stone changes the price of the gems: rubies, emeralds and sapphires can be mined in different countries. An unheated ruby from the Mogok Valley in Burma with the color designation "Pigeonblood" is 10 to 100 times more expensive than rubies mined in Mozambique or Zambia.

The term "semi-precious stones" does not mean that they are less beautiful than precious stones. Semi-precious stones can be higher in price than precious stones.

For example, tourmaline from Paraíba, in high demand and very rare due to the depletion of the mines from which they come, can fetch prices of up to $20,000/carat.

Prices are increasing for those semi-precious stones with gems certificate: black opals, Santa Maria aquamarines, some high quality red spinels . 

Which  gem certificate to choose?

For colored gemstones, we recommend : 

  • SSEF (Swiss Gemological Institute),
  • GRS (Gem Research Swisslab),
  • Gübelin

For large and valuable stones, we mainly work with the Swiss laboratory SSEF.

What is specific about diamond certification?

When we buy a diamond, we usually certify a diamond whose weight is higher than 0.40ct. The certificate enables us to compare several diamonds with precision and not to confuse it with another stone, whether it is precious, semi-precious or synthetic.

For the diamond certification, we often use the term “grading certificate”.

This certificate specifies among others the famous "4C": the Carats (weight), the Color, the Clarity and the Cut.

This document is established by an independent gemological laboratory and recognized worldwide. We prefer to use the leading laboratories GIA (Gemmological Institute of America) or HRD (Hoge Raad voor Diamant in Antwerpen).

How to verify the diamond certificate?

Everyone can consult the information about certified diamond. To do so, type in the certificate number and the carat number of the diamond on the corresponding platform of the institute (GIA or HRD).

At Holemans, all our gemstones jewels are accompanied by the certificate of the stone.

We are available for any further information you may require.

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