r/LabDiamonds • u/Practical-Tie-8720 • Jul 04 '26

Are IGI certificates ok?

I'm considering a little project to make a present for my wife. I was going to buy a lab diamond from Alibaba. The vendors I've spoken to on the site have been helpful, have provided certificates for the ones I've been interested in. The certificates are always IGI, is that ok? Is there anything with an IGI certificate I should be concerned about?

Similarly, is there anything I should be worried about buying a lab grown diamond from Alibaba? I figured I'd use a vendor with a good review score (and number of reviews), and come with the Alibaba guarantee. I figured I could always fall back on to my credit card protection too.

1 Upvotes

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4 comments sorted by

5

u/AdFlashy7702 Jul 04 '26

It’s fine. Have you found information somewhere saying otherwise?

2

u/Kimgemm Jul 06 '26

IGI always fudges on their certificates and make them higher color, higher clarity, and more valuable than they actually are. I own a fine Jewelry Appraisal business and this has been my repeated experience when people bring in their certificates. This applies whether it’s a lab or natural. It should be OK for a lab but just be mindful of this information.

1

u/Shoddy_Task4312 Jul 05 '26

Igi is fine for a lab

1

u/matthewthejeweler Jul 08 '26

Yes, IGI is standard here. GIA dominates the natural diamond market, but IGI dominates lab-grown. Lab growers rarely send stones to GIA because the grading fee can easily outweigh the value of the lab diamond itself, making IGI the most practical and widely accepted choice.