ARD Auditing Diamond Lab after Firing Graders

When buying a diamond ring, how do you know that the diamond is as perfect and clear as the price suggests? How do you know that the $14,000 diamond isn't as good as the $3,000 ring in the next case? All diamonds of high quality are graded by certified gemologists who grade diamonds based on the 4 C's: carat, clarity, color, and cut. These gemologists give a certificate for each diamond, knowing what to look for to spot a "bad" diamond or a lower quality diamond. The trust to be accurate lies with these gemologists whom retailers and customers alike rely on the information they produce. Unfortunately, this is not the case at a recent diamond grading lab in Antwerp, the worlds largest diamond trading center.

The Certificates Department of the Antwerp Diamond High Council (HRD), in Belgium has recently announced that there may have been "potential inconsistencies" when grading diamonds through their lab. Due to the strict International Standards Organization (ISO) that overseas the selling and procuring of diamonds, HRD has been having a hard time following the rules. The employees that are suspect of grading diamonds incorrectly have been working for HRD for around eight to eleven years. It is unclear at this time how long these mistakes have been made, all that is known is that there are diamonds that are not being sold at the value they are worth. So far, four graders have been fired, with many suspected to follow.

A forensic audit team will lead the group in finding these mistakes and recommend solutions to fix them. It may be a precaution, but having your diamonds re evaluated may prove if a diamond you bought was mislabeled.

These types of mistakes are often caught at the retail level. Recently, many local jewelers, such as Hanoush Jewelers, have begun the practice of grading all their diamonds a second time. This gives the customer a stronger sense of security, knowing that the diamond they are buying is truly as perfect as they want.

Next time there is a diamond purchase in your future, a suggestion would be to get another grading test done to be sure that it is the right diamond for you. There is no official number of how many diamonds could be suspected of being mislabeled, but taking that extra step to insure that the diamond is the correct grade will put you in a better sense of mind.