Whether you are a gemstone dealer or someone wanting to buy a precious certified gemstone, understanding the different options available for gemstone certifications in India and worldwide is a must for you.
A certificate from a recognized gemstone lab guarantees the authenticity of a gemstone but before you step out to get the gemstone certified, you need to know the various labs certifying the genuineness of a gemstone.
Don’t fall for any cheap lab next door as there are hundreds of gemstone labs in every prominent city. Getting certification from such labs is near wasting money. Before we move on to the list of government accredited labs and other authentic labs, let’s understand the significance of gemstone certification.
Importance of Gems Certification – Why to Get Gemstones Certified?
A gemstone certification has become a necessity to ensure you can rest assured about the authenticity of a stone. These days there are a number of gemstone dealers which deal in fake or synthetic gemstones. They use various techniques to change the attributes of a stone which include but not limited to colouring, heating, treating with chemicals and more.
The deceiving treatments are such that a buyer cannot identify the changes with his naked eyes. Even the most experienced one can be dodged by these techniques. The synthetic stones can look exactly similar in appearance to that of an original gemstone.
Ashish Agrawal, co-founder, and Director at Rajendras Gems, Delhi explained that: Gemstone certifications give you that peace of mind that the product you are buying is authentic and 100% natural. Through these certifications, you can get precise details about a gemstone such as weight, carat, color, inclusion, treatments, refractive index, shape, heating, etc. He further added, we at Rajendras Gems World, Delhi provide government-certified gemstones that ensure their trust with us.
Best Gemstone Certification Laboratories in India – Who certifies gemstones in India?
Here is the list of key gemstone testing labs in India.
- IGI-GTL
- Shri Zaveri Mahajan Zaverat & Moti Tolai Charitable Trust
IGI-GTL
Considered the most authentic gemstone lab in the country, the IGI-GTL is sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Established 40 years back, the gemstone lab has been lending support to present authentic gemstone testings to dealers and public alike. Every gemstone subjected to IGI-GTL certification goes through stringent quality checks by experts, scientific tests and advance equipments. In the gemstone market, IGI-GTL certificate carries a lot of weightage.
Address: F – 32-33, Flatted Factories Complex, Jhandewalan, New Delhi-110055
Contact: +91-11-46266910 | +91-11-23675274
Email: igi@gjepcindia.com
Website: http://www.igi-gtl.org/
Shri Zaveri Mahajan Zaverat & Moti Tolai Charitable Trust
Located in Mumbai, the Shri Zaveri Mahajan Zaverat & Moti Tolai Charitable Trust is a recognised name when it comes to certifying jewellery. Their core expertise is in testing and examining different kind of pearls. Not only the domestic market, but the Charitable Trust is also a name synonymous with trust in global markets as well.
Address: 223, Mumbadevi Road, Mumbai – 400002
Contact: 022-23453655
Website: NA
Best Gemstone Certification Laboratories Worldwide – Who certifies gemstones across the world?
Internationally, there are many laboratories that inspect the authenticity of a gemstone or jewel. Here is a list of hand-picked labs whose certificates are recognised, trustworthy, and accepted by everyone.
IGI (International Gemological Institute)
The International Gemological Institute is the world’s largest certification source for diamond and coloured stone. It has a vast network of 18 laboratories across the globe, which excel in grading natural diamonds, finished jewellery, lab-developed diamonds and gemstones. It also runs courses to impart in-depth knowledge about gemology to fresh jewellery professionals. IGI is the only gem lab in the world to evaluate and grade finished jewellery, loose diamonds and coloured gemstones. IGI is the only gem lab in the world to evaluate and grade finished jewellery, loose diamonds and coloured gemstones.
Address: 702, The Capital Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (E), Mumbai 400 051.
Contact: +91 22 4035 2550
Email: india@igi.org
Website: Igi.org
GRS (Gem Research Swisslab)
Established in 1996, the Gem Research Swisslab has expertise in identifying the origins and characterising coloured stones such as rubies, sapphires, emeralds, tourmalines, garnet, spinels, etc. It is the leader in augmented reality gemstone reports for easy understanding of these reports. With six testing branches across the globe, GRS is laced with highly advanced equipment which detects even novel treatment that guarantees the authenticity of a gemstone. The key areas of expertise of GRS can be categorised into treatment detection, origin determination, treatment classification and colour terminology.
Address: Baumschulweg 13, 6045 Meggen
Contact: +41 41 210 31 31
Website: Gemresearch.ch
Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
Founded in 1931, the non-profit organisation GIA is an authentic source of gemological research in the world. With a vision to empower buyers with original gemstone pieces, GIA has been setting and maintaining high-quality standards in gem identification, diamond grading services along with coloured stones and pearls. A revered institute in analysing gemstones, GIA gave the world the 4Cs and international diamond grading system. The 4C translates to Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat Weight. It has a state-of-the-art grading laboratory in Mumbai.
Address: The Robert Mouawad Campus, 5345 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Contact: +1 800 421 7250
Website: Gia.edu
Gubelin
Started as a watch shop in the Mecca of watches, Switzerland, Gubelin was founded in 1854. The founders ventured into gem testing to inspect the jewels in their watches by 1920. It now carries a vast experience and legacy of 160 years! Their years of expertise make them the champion of their trade. Every gemstone certification from Gubelin is a sign of trust and authenticity. It is the largest organisation in the gemstone testing laboratories.
Address: Schwanenplatz 7, 6004 Lucerne
Contact: +41 414-170011
Website: Gubelin.com
Dunaigre
Another Swiss gem in the gemological testing industry is the Chistian Dunaigre Consulting. It combines the experience and expertise of inspection labs AIGS and Gubelin. C.Dunaigre was set up in 2008 and within a short span of time, it has earned an industry reputation in gemstone and jewellery certification. Interestingly, unlike others, C.Dunaigre does not have a website! But, their work speaks volumes.
Address: BIREGGSTRASSE 17 LUZERN, Switzerland 6003
Contact: +41 420-5115
Website: Not available
Gemstone Certification Cost of Different Lab
Whenever you wish to certify a gemstone, you’ll find different rates of each lab. The price gap could be millions at times. The reason for this distinction is the types of equipment, scientific methods and technology used in the identification process. Moreover, it also depends on the number of attributes a particular gemological laboratory would be listing in its certificate. Lastly, the brand name in gemological testing also raises its cost as it is acceptable by a majority of schools.
