One word, three very different documents
People tend to call any printed card a "certificate". In reality there are three distinct documents, and each one answers its own question.
Authentic Gems guarantee card
This is our written promise about the stone you have bought: that it is natural, that it is the stone in the listing, and that our 7-day return policy applies to it. It is the seller's word, backed up by the return window. It is not a laboratory result.
Our in-house certificate
For any stone you buy, you can ask for an Authentic Gems certificate of authenticity. It sets down what we found when we examined the stone ourselves: its variety, carat weight, measurements, colour and any treatment we are aware of. Think of it as a careful record made by the people who sold you the stone.
An independent lab report
A lab report comes from a gemmological laboratory with nothing to gain from the sale. The lab examines the stone with instruments and states what it is, whether it is natural or synthetic, and which treatments it can detect. Ask for this document when you are buying a valuable stone or simply want an opinion from someone outside the shop.
Getting a stone lab tested before you pay
- Find the stone on the site and copy its link.
- Send that link to us on WhatsApp and tell us you would like an independent lab report. You can also reach us through our contact page.
- We explain how testing would work for that particular stone, including the time involved and the cost of the report.
- When you are happy to go ahead, we arrange the test. You see the report before you pay for the stone.
- If you decide to buy, the stone travels with its report by insured, tracked courier, and you pay Cash on Delivery as normal.
What you will find on a lab report
- Identification: the species and the variety, for example corundum, variety sapphire.
- Natural or synthetic: whether the stone grew in the earth or in a factory.
- Treatment: heating, oiling, filling, dyeing, coating, irradiation or diffusion, wherever the lab can detect it.
- Weight and size: carat weight to two decimal places, and measurements in millimetres.
- Shape, cut and colour: a straightforward description, often with a photograph.
- Origin: for stones such as sapphire and emerald, some labs give an opinion on the country of origin. Treat that as an opinion, not as certain as the identification itself.
Reading a report properly
Begin with the identification line, which should name the stone you paid for. Then go to the comments or treatment section, because "no indications of heating" and "indications of heating" mean very different things for value. On an emerald report, find the level of clarity enhancement, usually described as minor, moderate or significant. Next, compare the weight and measurements with the stone in your hand. Last of all, note the report number and check it with the lab's own verification service if it offers one.
Remember that a report describes the stone as it was on the day of testing. If the stone is later recut or treated again, that report no longer applies.
The stones people most often ask us to test
Most requests are for blue sapphire, yellow sapphire (Pukhraj), ruby, emerald, red coral (Marjan) and cat's eye (Lehsunia), since treatments and imitations affect their value the most. Testing can also be arranged for opal, aquamarine, amethyst, Feroza, peridot, garnet, topaz and kunzite. Each stone has its own guide below explaining what the lab looks at.
At the moment no listing has a lab report attached. As reports arrive, those stones will be marked lab-certified and will appear on this page. Our authenticity page explains how we inspect every stone in the meantime.
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