The Wired Bride

Let’s Talk About Diamonds

The official birthstone for the month of April is the diamond!  You, April babies, are lucky, and I’m totally jealous!

I thought of this post because even though diamonds are a girl’s best friend, we need to be {educated} on them.  If you are lucky enough to help your significant other pick out your sparkler, know this before you look!

There are {4 C’s} to keep in mind when looking at diamonds and they are cut, color, clarity, and carat. 

Another C that should be considered is the {certificate}. It wasn’t until I reveiwed our statement for renewing my ring insurance that I saw something I {did not} recognize and that was the letters EGL.

After a quick Google search, I found out everything I needed to know about what it meant for my engagement ring to be EGL certified, and I think it is important enough to share!

There are several diamond grading labs across the world that produce the certificates that grade your diamond to tell you what the 4 C’s are, however the authority on diamond grading is the GIA (Gemogical Institute of America). The important thing to remember is that a GIA lab certificate will always be the same anywhere in the world because of their STRICT grading standard.

My diamond is certified by the EGL (European Gemogical Labratory) and as I learned, it is not held in such high esteem, although it is still a popular grader! The thing that sets is apart from the GIA is PRICE. Unlike the GIA, the EGL certificate has discrepancies because they are each privately owned, therefore have looser interpretations of grading standards.  This means a diamond graded in Israel may have a different grade on the 4 C’s than if it were graded in New York City. Because of this, the GIA diamond will always cost more, even on identical diamonds.

The takeaway?  If you are concerned about getting the “highest quality” diamond, make sure it is GIA certified. Just note that you will pay a lot more with this certification or you’ll have to settle on a smaller carat to keep it in the same price range.

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