Glittering Stones » Gemstone Research Centers » International Geomological Institute(IGI)

ABOUT IGI:

 

With offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Antwerp, Bangkok, Mumbai (Bombay), Tokyo, Dubai and Hong Kong, the International Gemological Institute (IGI) is the largest independent laboratory for grading and valuating diamonds and fine jewelry, and is renowned for its quality services, extensive experience and expertise.

IGI, the oldest institute of its kind in Antwerp, was founded in 1975 and along with its sister laboratories, is one of the leading gemological institutions worldwide. IGI is also the only international certification lab wholly owned and controlled by one central governing body, which ensures consistency in IGI reports across the globe. In adhering to the one internationally accepted system for diamond grading, IGI offers its clients peace of mind.

For over 30 years, IGI has provided the fine jewelry community and consumers with a broad range of services including: independent diamond grading reports, colored stone reports, identification and appraisal reports, diamond authentication and attestation of origin, laser inscription services, and diamond and colored stone courses offered through IGI's School of Gemology.

Today, IGI issues more than one million reports per year, which is notable considering that 10 years ago only diamond dealers were using gemological reports. Consumers are now more demanding and quality conscious about the products they buy and as such, the majority of quality gem and jewelry items are sold with gemological reports.

A jewelry buyer seeking an explanation of why two similar diamond rings are priced $1,000 apart is not satisfied with being told simply that one is a 'better' diamond. He or she wants to know why it's better and they are also more familiar with the diamond 4Cs than their parents were. Today, the consuming public is entitled to accurate and reliable product information. Contemporary jewelers consider supplying such information an integral part of any sale and modern retail training programs stress the importance of providing independent gemological reports for gems and jewelry in addition to educating the consumer.

All this has led to an increase in demand for reliable grading and/or appraisal reports from IGI. Thousands of jewelers, retail stores, insurance companies, Internet sales organizations, catalogue companies (mail order), accounting and securities firms and consumers alike rely on IGI reports. IGI draws upon its expert staff of over 450 including graduate gemologists, accredited appraisers and professional office personnel, all dedicated to a standard of excellence second to none. With an ever-increasing client base, IGI's reputation as an industry leader is unparalleled.

Besides exceptional stones, a gem has no name, no history. It's a gem! The final user doesn't know where the stone was found, who extracted it, who polished it or the name of the gem dealer. The only document that travels around the world with the gem is the gemological report. The IGI report is "The Passport for your gems and jewelry!"

SERVICES:

The Institute's wide variety of services include:

• Diamond and Colored Stone Certificates
• Gem and Jewelry Appraisal Reports
• Diamond and Colored Stone Courses
• Gem and Jewelry Seminars
• Cutting Advisory Services
• Laser Inscription and Table Branding
• Registration and Recovery
• Diamond Repair
• Jewelry Engraving
• Photography

IGI - THE ABCs OF JEWELRY CERTIFICATION :

A - Assurance
IGI offers peace of mind. With an IGI certificate you can be assured of the characteristics, quality and origin of the gemstones and fine jewelry you've purchased.

B - Beauty
The sparkle of a diamond or precious gemstone is truly mesmerizing. An IGI report explains why each diamond is different - mapping out the unique fingerprint of your inimitable stone.

C - Credibility
For over three decades, IGI has been the standard of excellence in fine jewelry evaluation and gemology worldwide. IGI helps take away the mystery and confusion sometimes associated with fine jewelry purchases.

DIAMOND AND JEWELRY CERTIFICATION:

While two gems may look identical to the untrained eye, they may be quite different in quality and worlds apart in value. Thus scientific analysis and certification of your stones and precious metals by an independent, unbiased gemological institute, like IGI, is of the utmost importance. An IGI certificate gives you a tangible document that attests to the quality and authenticity of your jewelry. It provides a unique map that can help you "comparison shop" to determine which jewelry is of better value. It is also used for insurance purposes if your jewelry is lost, stolen or damaged by providing an accurate description of the article for replacement purposes.

IGI CERTIFICATE:

IGI is totally independent of all commercial sales organizations and does not buy or sell diamonds, precious stones or fine jewelry. Thus, IGI is able to provide objective and accurate appraisals and identification reports, as well as appraisal updates.An IGI jewelry certificate is recognized worldwide. In adhering to the one internationally accepted system for diamond grading, IGI offers unbiased, independent and reliable product information.

IGI JEWELRY CERTIFICATE:

There are actually four different types of IGI jewelry reports to ensure no question is left uncertified:

• Identification Report
• Appraisal Report
• Certificate of Authenticity
• Jewelry Summation
  
  

IGI CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY:

The IGI Certificate of Authenticity describes a submitted article of jewelry and assures you an independent professional gemological laboratory has officially authenticated the identity of gemstones and precious metal included in the article of jewelry. The certificate will display a color photograph of the article for identification purposes. A certificate number is included in case the item is lost or stolen. All of the particulars concerning the article will be held in IGI's central computer bank.

CONTACT:

589 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10017
T: (212) 753-7100
F: (212) 644-8378
E-mail: info@igi-usa.com
Web site: www.igiworldwide.com

IGI Belgium - World Head Office

Schupstraat 1
2018 Antwerp
BELGIUM
Tel: +32-3-231.68.45
Fax: +32-3-232.07.58
Email: info@igiworldwide.com