What is an appraisal and how does it differ from a grading report certificate?
An appraisal is a document that contains all the pertinent information about a diamond with respect to the Four Cs, but differs from a grading report in that it also includes its estimated retail or replacement value. An appraisal is required by insurance companies since the Grading Report Certificate or Diamond Quality Document does not indicate price or value. The GIA and AGS never suggest a retail value, nor do they grade mounted diamonds. If the diamond is set in jewelry, the appraisal also describes the precious metal that is used in the mounting. At American Diamond Wholesalers, we offer an in-house appraisal on all GIA or AGS graded diamonds for your insurance needs. For finished jewelry and non-laboratory graded diamonds, we employ the combined grading and appraisal services of the International Gemological Institute (IGI). This laboratory examines set diamonds and furnishes their retail value. While we prefer the GIA and AGS for complete grading reports on loose diamonds, we f
