Diamond Certification in India: IGI vs GIA vs SGL

What Is a Diamond Certificate?

“Diamond certificate” usually means a laboratory grading report. Depending on the report type, it records details such as origin, carat weight, dimensions, colour, clarity and cut information.

Check whether it covers an individual loose diamond or the finished jewellery. For mounted stones, the setting can limit what the laboratory can assess. IGI explains the scope of its reports here.

IGI, GIA and SGL: What’s the Difference?

IGI

IGI issues reports for natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds and finished jewellery. Its lab-grown reports document origin and relevant quality characteristics.

Growth method and treatment information can be included upon request; these details are not automatically present on every report. Explore IGI’s laboratory-grown diamond reports.

GIA

GIA provides natural-diamond grading and laboratory-grown diamond assessment services.

Since 1 October 2025, its revised service for qualifying colourless to near-colourless lab-grown diamonds uses “Premium” or “Standard” overall assessments rather than individual colour and clarity grades in the natural-diamond format. GIA has separate services for coloured lab-grown diamonds, and older reports may look different. Read GIA’s current service scope.

SGL

SGL offers natural-diamond, lab-grown diamond and jewellery reports, with online report verification. Check the specific report’s scope and the characteristics it records. Read SGL’s lab-grown report guidance.

When comparing diamonds, read the actual reports rather than relying on the laboratory’s name alone.

How to Verify a Diamond Report

1. Find the report number on the document.

2. Open the laboratory’s official website: use IGI’s report lookup, GIA Report Check or SGL’s verification field.

3. Compare the details: check origin, shape, weight, measurements and reported grades or assessment.

4. Match the report to the stone: where a laser inscription is present, ask the jeweller to show it under magnification.

An online record confirms that the report exists. You still need to establish that it belongs to the stone being offered.

What a Report Doesn’t Tell You

A grading report is not a valuation, a buyback promise or a guarantee that you’ll love the diamond’s appearance. A valuation or insurance appraisal is a separate document from a diamond grading report.

View the stone where possible, compare itemised prices and read the seller’s written policies before deciding.

Buying from Glora Diamonds

When exploring jewellery at Glora Diamonds, ask to see the applicable report for your chosen piece and confirm what it covers.

Browse our engagement rings or contact our team with questions about a particular diamond.