As a GIA graduate geologist, I understand the importance of a certified diamond. But, not just any certified diamond, GIA certified diamonds. GIA stands for Gemological Institute of America and is a world renowned and extremely reputable laboratory. They are very strict and consistent when it comes to grading a diamond.

Non certified diamonds

Some customers purchase diamonds without a certificate and that is totally fine, too. Typically, the reason I see for this is price point. However, there are some things to think about when you purchase a non certified diamond. How well do you know the person or jeweler you are purchasing a diamond from? Even if you know the jeweler, what is your reasoning for buying a non certified diamond? After all, a diamond is a diamond, but in my opinion, if you are making a big purchase, it would make sense to buy a certified diamond graded by someone else than the person selling it to you.

What’s the smallest diamond I should buy certified?

In my professional opinion, you should buy a GIA certified diamond when the diamond is 0.50 carats and above. The reason why I am saying 0.50 carats and above is because GIA charges a fee to grade the loose diamond. If the diamonds is less than 0.50 carats, it doesn’t make sense financially to have it certified. Getting a small diamond certified can increase the price of the diamond by 20% or even more and that doesn’t make sense.   Now, that doesn’t mean if you are buy an eternity ring with 0.50 ct diamonds the diamonds should be certified. Imagine in an eternity ring with half carat diamonds and every single diamond is certified by GIA. That can increase the price of the ring by thousands of dollars.

Now, another question customers call about is if the diamonds in an engagement ring are certified. If we sent every little diamond to be certified by the GIA, the certificates would cost more than the ring itself. At the end of the day, if you are purchasing an engagement ring, I would recommend getting the center stone certified as long as the stone is 0.50 carat and above.