Everyone knows that if you want to impress the woman of your dreams, the best thing you can do is buy her a diamond. A diamond ring is the most popular form of engagement ring in the world and every girl loves to show off a good quality solitaire on her finger. But how can you be sure the diamond you're getting is a good quality one?

Any diamond worth its weight will come with certification. GIA certified diamonds will have had their cut, carat, clarity and colour graded. Their dimensions will be measured exactly and every possible snippet of information that can be gleaned from the stone will be entered on the certificate.

All this grading is carried out by the Gemological Institute of America who have developed the world recognised method of grading diamonds. Their motive for carrying out this process is to preserve integrity in the world diamond markets. It reduces the possibility of fake diamonds flooding the market although there is still some room for this to happen. The Institute employs well over one thousand people in research centres throughout the world who are trained to give GIA certified diamonds the grades they come with.
If you are in any doubt as to what this means, then know that Governments have used the GIA as a trusted information source and even the British crown jewels have GIA certified diamonds in them.

Owning a GIA certified diamond does not necessarily mean it is worth any more than an uncertified diamond but it simply means that you can be sure of its quality. However, appraisers are the people responsible for deciding how much a diamond is worth and they often use the GIA certification as a guide to the quality and thus a way to gauge the price.

It is also easier for a diamond owner to insure his precious gem with a GIA certificate. It removes the element of doubt as to its quality and therefore the amount it is insured for is unlikely to be questioned. It also means that you can rest assured you are not purchasing an imitation stone or one of poor quality.

Of course, with all things, there is the risk of forgery on paperwork. This element is all but done away with after GIA introduced holograms, microprint lines and security screens. Eventually, forgers will find a way round these barriers but the GIA will continue to work towards staying on top of the issue to ensure the stones bearing the GIA certificate are always seen as genuine.

Of all the diamonds on the planet, the most costly are coloured diamonds. Diamonds develop colour because of some impurities but it is the fact that they are so rare that means they are worth more than clear diamonds. Diamonds come in shades of purple, orange, green, blue, pink, yellow, brown, black and the rarest red. They are much more expensive per carat than the average diamond and the most expensive ever sold was a purplish red diamond that sold at auction for $926, 317 per carat. That was its price at auction over twenty years ago so no doubt some lucky person is sitting on an absolute money pot.

Coloured diamonds are also subject to GIA certification and although the colour is actually a flaw, this imperfection brings a uniqueness to the stone that many people like and these flaws are measured as to their consistency. If colour is even distributed throughout the diamond then it will look better and be worth more to the highest bidder.

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About the Author

Expert jeweller Catherine Harvey takes a look at GIA certified diamonds and what this certification means.