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Understanding Diamond Grading & Certificates

Understanding Diamond Grading & Certificates

GIA reports & listing protection. Why some details are missing and report numbers are excluded from prints.

Philippa Corrick avatar
Written by Philippa Corrick
Updated over a week ago

Ungraded Diamonds

We strongly recommend inspecting both graded and ungraded diamonds before making a purchase. This helps avoid any potential issues after the sale.

While some graded diamonds may be purchased sight unseen, we do not recommend this approach for ungraded diamonds.

Why a diamond may be listed as ungraded:

  • The diamond hasn’t been graded due to cost considerations. This is often the case with smaller stones or those with lower color or clarity. In such situations, you may negotiate with the seller to make your purchase conditional upon inspection or independent grading.

  • The diamond has a grading report that RapNet does not recognize. This could be because the report comes from a lesser-known lab or one with inconsistent standards. In such cases, the diamond is listed as ungraded on RapNet. You'll need to assess the report’s credibility and make a decision in consultation with the seller.

Optional Inspection Services

If needed, RapNet can inspect diamonds in India, Hong Kong, New York, and Israel. This service involves a fee, which varies based on the type and extent of inspection required.


GIA Certified Fancy Colored Diamond Report Incomplete

If your GIA fancy colored diamond report is missing clarity or cut, it’s likely due to the type of report issued—GIA offers two, each with different details.

  1. Colored Diamond Grading Report - This is the more comprehensive report and includes:

    • Color grade

    • Clarity grade

    • A plotted clarity diagram

    • Diamond weight and measurements

  2. Colored Diamond Identification and Origin Report - This streamlined report includes:

    • Color grade

    • Diamond weight and measurements

Note: Clarity and cut grades are not included in this report. Some sellers may provide their own clarity or cut information, which is listed as seller data and not GIA-certified.

When reviewing a GIA report, be sure to check which type you are looking at to understand what information is officially provided.


Certificate Number Missing from Exported Data

Updated: September 10, 2019: To protect sellers' diamond information, the diamond report (certificate) number is no longer included in the custom print feature.

The RapNet Lot Number now serves as the unique identifier for listed diamonds.

Why was this change made?

While lab report numbers were once included for convenience, many sellers reported that their diamond data was being misused. Some online websites copied this information from RapNet and advertised the diamonds at below-market prices to attract calls, hurting both the true owners and future buyers.

What information is still included?

To support transparency without risking misuse, custom print and email functions now include:

  • RapNet Lot Number

  • Owner information

  • Stock number

This change helps protect our members while keeping key listing details accessible.

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