Busting Myths: The True Story on IGI Diamond Certification

When it comes to diamond certification, not all reports are created equal—discover the truth behind IGI Diamond Certification and why it might just change how you view your next diamond purchase.

Before diving deeper into the details, it’s crucial to first verify that your diamond’s certification is genuine.
Verify Diamond’s Authenticity Now: Use our IGI Certificate Checker to instantly confirm the quality and grading of your diamond. Simply enter your GIA report number below to get started!

Navigate This Guide:

• Introduction to IGI Certification
• 6 Practical Tips for Buying a Diamond Engagement Ring with IGI Certification
• IGI vs GIA: A Comparative Review
• The IGI Grading Process: Unraveling the 4 Cs in IGI’s Methodology
• The Difference Between an Excellent and Ideal Cut
• IGI Market Perception
• The Advantages and Disadvantages of IGI Certification
• Conclusion
• 7 FAQs

Introduction to IGI Certification

For anyone looking to buy a diamond for the first, second or fiftieth time, a comprehensive and reliable grading report is essential. We often talk exclusively about GIA graded diamonds, but glossing over the fact that there are other institutions offering their own methodologies for assessing the quality of diamonds can be confusing.

You may, for instance, have come across IGI diamonds during your research.

Understanding IGI’s Role in Diamond Grading

The IGI (or the International Gemological Institute) is the largest independent gemological laboratory in the world. Established in 1975, it has locations in all major diamond trade cities.

An IGI diamond certification (grading report) evaluates the diamond on its quality and structure as well as the 4 C’s: cut, clarity, color, and carat according to international standards.

A Brief History of the IGI

The International Gemological Institute, ISI, was established in 1975 in Antwerp, Belgium. After GIA, they are the 2nd most well-known lab in the world, grading a significant number of diamonds each and every year. They are, however, better, more widely known outside the United States and especially popular in the Asian region.

Before we dive deeper into the specifics, here are some practical tips to help guide your decision-making process:

6 Practical Tips for Buying a Diamond Engagement Ring with IGI Certification

When purchasing a diamond engagement ring, particularly one with an IGI certification, there are several crucial aspects to consider. These tips will guide you in making an informed decision and ensure that you get the best value and quality for your investment. 

• Tip 1: Understanding the IGI Certification Examine the 4 Cs: Always review the 4 Cs (Carat, Cut, Color, Clarity) as detailed in the IGI certification. IGI uses similar grading scales to GIA, so familiarize yourself with these grades. Verify the Report: Use IGI’s online verification tool to confirm the authenticity of the diamond’s certification. This ensures that the diamond matches the report you’ve been given. 
• Tip 2: Comparing IGI and GIA Certifications Assess the Pricing: IGI-certified diamonds often come at a lower cost than GIA. Compare prices of similar grades to understand the market value. Quality Assurance: While IGI is reputable, it’s commonly perceived as less stringent than GIA. When comparing diamonds, consider if the IGI diamond’s slightly lower price compensates for this perception. 
• Tip 3: Paying Attention to Cut and Brilliance Focus on Cut Quality: IGI rates diamond cuts from ‘Poor’ to ‘Excellent’. Prioritize higher cut grades for better brilliance and sparkle, as the cut significantly impacts a diamond’s aesthetics. Ideal vs. Excellent Cuts: Understand the difference between IGI’s ‘Ideal’ and ‘Excellent’ cut grades. An ‘Ideal’ cut in IGI might not equate to the same level in GIA’s standards. 
• Tip 4: Scrutinizing Color and Clarity Color Grading: Check the color grade; a grade closer to D means the diamond has less color, which is typically preferred. Clarity Details: Look for clarity grades of VS1 or higher for a visually flawless appearance. Remember, some IGI grades might be slightly more generous compared to GIA. 
• Tip 5: Considering the Diamond’s Provenance Ethical Sourcing: Ensure that the diamond is ethically sourced. While the certification focuses on quality, knowing the origin can be essential for ethical considerations. Lab-Grown vs. Natural: Decide between a lab-grown and a natural diamond. IGI is particularly well-regarded for lab-grown diamond certifications. 
• Tip 6: Reviewing the Certification Before Purchase Thoroughly Read the Report: Before making a purchase, carefully read the entire IGI certification. Check for any remarks or additional information that might impact your decision. Understand the Grading Process: Familiarize yourself with how IGI grades diamonds. This knowledge will help you make a more informed choice. 

Now that you’ve got these practical tips, use Jeweler AI below to find the perfect engagement ring that suits your style and budget:

IGI vs GIA: A Comparative Review

The GIA’s methods for assessing diamonds are far more reliable, even if they are slower and more costly.

IGI diamonds cost less than GIA diamonds because of the fact that the process of grading each of the stones attributes takes less time. And, while skimping on time will save you money in the short-term, it really isn’t a sacrifice you want to make on something this important.

Think of it this way. If your jeweler told you they could spend one day making a ring setting for you – that’s everything from the design to the creation itself – or, at a higher upfront cost, spend a couple weeks making sure every small detail was perfected, and every component handmade, you know which one you’d go for.

Why? Because, alongside the diamond and the gold, platinum and silver, time is yet another factor that is essential to creating a beautiful ring.

The additional time the GIA invests into grading diamonds translates into greater consistency, and much more attention to detail – and the reason why we consider their approach to be a clear winner.

The IGI Grading Process: Unraveling the 4 Cs in IGI’s Methodology

Like many of the most popular methods for grading diamonds, the IGI’s diamond grading system is categorized by 4 C’s: carat, color, clarity, and cut: 

IGI Carat Scale 

The carat scale for IGI diamond certification depends on the size and weight ratio. IGI does not include larger gems if the weight does not match the size in their IGI certification, due to the fact that it isn’t considered “perfect”.

IGI Color Grades

IGI grades the color of a diamond on the same grading scale as the GIA’s widely-used grading scale – a letter color scale ranging from D – Z. As always, the less color a diamond has, the higher the value it has. A diamond graded with the letter D represents a colorless diamond and continues up the scale to a diamond with the letter Z, representing a light yellow or brownish tint.

IGI Clarity Grades

Much like the GIA, the IGI grades clarity on how clean a diamond is from inclusions and blemishes. The diamond’s size, number, location, and nature of internal inclusions are aspects that are inspected during the clarity assessment.

But, while the GIA utilizes a clarity scale ranging from FL to I2, the IGI’s clarity scale runs from 0-10, with a score of 0 being completely flawless up to a score of 10 which includes significant flaws.

IGI Cut Grades

IGI grades the cut of the diamond on the standard cut-based scale, based on its proportion, angles and symmetry:

• Ideal
• Excellent
• Very Good
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

The Difference Between an Excellent and Ideal Cut

One of the things that bothers us about the IGI’s Cut Grades is their inclusion of the grade ‘Ideal’, which sits one cut above ‘Excellent’ on the scale. As you know by now, the GIA’s scale for Cut quality ranges from Poor (like the IGI’s) to Excellent, so it’s no doubt clear why it can be confusing for shoppers browsing jewelers that stock diamonds certified by a variety of labs.

For shoppers who want the best – and who know that the best sparkle comes from diamonds with the best cut grades out there – this supposedly superior grade given by the IGI may just sway them in favor of a diamond accompanied by one of their reports.

Unfortunately, this is a big risk, since the IGI just doesn’t compare to the GIA in terms of consistency or accuracy, and we would never recommend them to shoppers – even if they seem to pose certain benefits. 

The IGI stress their commitment to providing clear parameters for Cut grades to the trade and, by extension, to shoppers themselves. That said, we struggled to see the value their system offers anyone.

Like the GIA, the IGI’s cut grades are based upon a set of predetermined parameters for aspects like proportion and scintillation. These parameters are, to their credit, freely available for shoppers to find out for themselves, but something that makes their reports a lot less informative (in our opinion) is the absence of any proportion diagram. Given the monumental importance proportion and ratio hold for a diamond’s beauty and sparkle, having that diagram is a great way of clearing up any confusion for inexperienced shoppers.

Why an ‘Ideal’ Cut Could Be Misleading

The important thing to remember is that, while the word ‘Ideal’ definitely sounds better than ‘Excellent’, the IGI aren’t grading any diamonds that are fundamentally superior to the diamonds sent to the GIA. While they have added that additional grade into their system, that grade is merely indicative of the highest level of Cut quality as they see it.

For the GIA, the highest level of Cut quality is awarded an Excellent grade. Ultimately, the fact that the IGI would have awarded it an Ideal grade doesn’t mean anything.

So, doesn’t that mean that the Ideal grade from the IGI is just as good as the Excellent grade from the GIA, and that shoppers can consider both to be worthwhile investments? No – not exactly.

The IGI’s reputation as a less consistent lab with a much higher rate of turnover for grading natural (earth-made) diamonds means that their grading reports just don’t offer the same value and reassurance to shoppers as the reports created by the GIA’s gemologists.

For us, the Excellent graded from the GIA still represents the best possible Cut grade you can choose for your diamond. The IGI’s ongoing issues with inconsistency mean that the benefits of paying for Ideal over Excellent are very unclear, and we wouldn’t recommend that shoppers pay the premium for a grade that, ultimately, just ‘sounds better’.

IGI Diamond Grading Chart

IGI diamond certification reports are provided for diamonds of any size and can be customized for a variety of customers throughout the diamond industry. The grading report provides a complete assessment of the stone’s 4 C’s: color, clarity, carat and cut. The report also includes a plotted diagram of the characteristics and proportions of each diamond as well as information about the cut by analyzing proportions, polish, and symmetry.

IGI also issues an IGI Diamond ID which is a passport-sized document containing the same information as the grading report, just without the plotted diagram.

IGI diamond certificate

IGI Market Perception

The IGI is a highly reputable institution recognized around the world.

That said, it is not considered to be among the very best labs for grading diamonds. We will explain why in greater detail below but, for now, let’s talk you through the specifics for the IGI’s grading scales for each of the Four Cs.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of IGI Certification

There are both advantages and disadvantages that come with an IGI diamond certification. Advantages include lower costs of certification, and a faster turnaround time than what is offered by other high profile diamond grading institutions.

The disadvantage of an IGI diamond certification includes inconsistency, as reports are pumped out at a faster pace than other grading labs. This leads to much looser and less predictable results – a major downside to anyone looking to make the strongest investment possible into their diamond.

Conclusion

GIA diamonds still represent the safest investment for any shopper.

For a total beginner, it’s easy to imagine that all reputable diamond labs will offer the same level of assurance over the value of a diamond. In reality, the different methodologies and labels offered by these institutions can ‘muddy the waters’, and confuse first-time shoppers over what it is that they’re buying.

This is another reason why we focus on the GIA’s methods. In addition to offering the greatest level of consistency – and, of course, more time and attention that some of the other labs are able to give to their diamonds – focusing on the GIA’s scales gives shoppers the clarity they need to know what they are paying for, and how valuable it really is. 

7 FAQs

• Q: What is an HRD certificate? 
• A: An HRD certificate is a document issued by HRD Antwerp that authenticates a diamond’s natural origins and details its quality based on the 4Cs (Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut). 
• Q: How does HRD compare to GIA? 
• A: HRD is known for high standards in cut grading but is perceived to be more lenient in color and clarity compared to GIA. It’s essential to compare both certifications to understand the differences in grading scales. 
• Q: Can I verify my HRD certificate online? 
• A: Yes, you can verify the authenticity of an HRD certificate through HRD Antwerp’s official website, which offers an online verification tool for their certified diamonds. 
• Q: Does the HRD grade lab-grown diamonds? 
• A: HRD Antwerp does grade lab-grown diamonds and issues a separate certificate specifically stating the diamond is lab-grown. 
• Q: What should I do if the diamond’s HRD certificate and appearance don’t match? 
• A: It’s possible that the diamond might have been switched, or the certificate could be counterfeit. Verify the certificate online and consult with a trusted jeweler or get a second opinion from another grading lab. 
• Q: Are HRD-certified diamonds more expensive? 
• A: Not necessarily. Pricing can vary based on many factors, including the diamond’s 4Cs. HRD-certified diamonds may sometimes be priced lower compared to GIA-certified diamonds due to market perceptions of the grading standards. 
• Q: Can I trust an HRD certification? 
• A: While HRD is a reputable certification body, it’s crucial to understand their grading system and compare it with other diamonds certified by different labs to ensure you’re making a well-informed purchase.

Discover the brilliance of IGI-certified diamonds with JewelerAI. Experience tailored selections that resonate with your style and budget.