EGL vs. GIA or AGL

EGL diamonds can indeed be tricky. The upside of buying GIA diamonds is obvious: you know exactly what you’re going to get. No disappointments and negative surprises.
The downside with GIA is also obvious: higher prices and also no “free lunches”, meaning that it’s difficult to make a great deal with GIA diamonds.
This is not the case with EGL diamonds. There are sometimes horror stories with EGL diamonds. And yet, sometimes you can make a great deal purchasing an EGL. I would point out the following regarding EGL diamonds:

1. Not all EGL labs are alike. EGL USA is considered a very good lab, and very close to GIA. On the contrary, EGL Israel (the is unrelated to EGL USA) is considered a very bad lab. On average I would say that an EGL USA diamond would be one grading point away from GIA in terms of color and clarity (meaning that if it’s grade D color with EGL USA, it might be graded E color with GIA). I would avoid EGL Israel diamonds.

2. I’ve seen people make great deals with EGL diamonds. The most important thing is to have someone professional examine the diamond for you and make sure that it’s eye clean. This is the most important thing. If you have that then you can find a great diamond, and save money on the way.

3. If you go with EGL USA, you don’t need to stick to a very high color grade (D for example). You’ll probably be paying for more than you can enjoy. You can easily go down one or two grades.

4. What color is your ring? If it’s white gold then a high color grade is recommended, yet if it’s yellow gold then the color of the ring will reflect on the diamond anyway.

5. Also, in terms of clarity: good jewelers are many times able to save their customers significant amounts by properly setting the diamond in the ring. For customers that purchase EGLs that have a certain imperfection on the side (girdle) of the diamond, the jweler covers that imperfection with the prong and the customer ends up having a perfect diamond ring at a price that could be half of what he/she would have paid otherwise.

Bottom line – I do recommend EGLs, especially if you have a limited budget and want to reach a certain carat size, provided that you have a jeweler that can verify that it’s a good stone.

Lastly – when purchasing online many websites allow you to return your purchase if you’re not satisfied. This gives you the option to also check the diamond yourself (take it to a local jeweler for example) and return it if it doesn’t live to your standards. Not much to lose…

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A GIA-certified diamond is not more expensive than an EGL-certified diamond, for example. It's just that GIA is the most accurate and reliable grading lab that uses the strictest grading standards. Other labs tend to grade more "loosely," making less desirable diamonds out to be more desirable than they really are (and also making them more expensive than they are worth sometimes). Stick to GIA graded stones--they're not pricier, they're just graded more precisely.

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Ok, I have actually heard this one before, quite a few times actually. Few of us can spurn a good deal, but kudos for taking the extra time to do your proper research, as you will likely be happier with the end result.

I have heard both success and horror stories from the EGL, but the success stories outweigh the bad ones, and I have similar stories from people who received unsatisfactory grading reports from the GIA and AGL as well.

Truth be told, there really isn't that much of a difference if at all between the certificates, other than the price that you will pay for them. That said, the EGL-International (not to be confused with EGL-US/Canada which is independent) is known to be slightly less consistent in its grading reports than the GIA, which I believe is due to their offices worldwide, which include Belgium, London, Tel Aviv, Seoul, South Africa and Mumbai. However all diamond grading reports are inherently subjective, as it is a human eye looking at the diamond and not a scientific instrument. Therefore an eye belonging to a GIA or an EGL employee shouldn't be that different. You take the same risks with any grading agency. Another point that I would like to make is; yes, the EGL may not be as consistent as the GIA, but that can work in your favor. I read on a couple of forums that some people got more than what they paid for, such as a VS2 clarity and G color, while the report from the EGL said that it was VS1 and H (after a reappraisal by a jeweler who I believe used to work for the GIA).

Bottom line, there may be a slight difference, but it usually isn't enough tobe noticeable, and this difference can work both ways. My advice is if your not sure about the grading, get a second opinion, and in the worst case scenario any reputable dealer will allow you to return or exchange it.

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