What is a Certificate?
A diamond certificate, also called a diamond grading report or diamond dossier^® is a report created by a team of gemologists. The diamond is evaluated, measured, and scrutinized using trained eyes, a jeweler’s loupe, a microscope, and other industry tools. A completed certificate includes an analysis of the diamond’s dimensions, clarity, color, polish, symmetry, and other characteristics. Many round diamonds will also include a cut grade on the report.

Every loose diamond which A. Fishman & Son will sell you has been analyzed and graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). This is  most respected laboratory in the diamond industry, and is known for their consistency and unbiased diamond grading systems. Diamonds that are accompanied by these grading reports are the most highly valued in the industry. We also list some diamonds graded by the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL).  We recommend that you NOT purchase diamonds graded by this laboratory as their standards are more lenient than that of the GIA.  The diamonds that we own which have EGL certificates are really listed for retail stores who might need a diamond which has some kind of certificate but which will sell for a lower price due to the fact that the diamond itself is not as good a quality as the certificate statistics might indicate.