Proof, not promises

Certification

A laboratory report is the only thing standing between a buyer and a seller's word. Here is what our reports cover, and how to check one without taking our word for any of it.

The laboratories we use

Reports come from GIA, GRS, SSEF, Gubelin or the NGJA, which is the Sri Lankan state gem authority. The first four are recognised by trade buyers anywhere in the world. NGJA reports are common and respected within Sri Lanka and are usually enough for a straightforward stone.

For an expensive unheated stone, or anything sold as padparadscha, ask for SSEF or Gubelin. Those two carry the most weight when origin or treatment is contested, and the difference shows up in the resale price years later.

What a report actually tells you

A sapphire report states four things that change what a stone is worth.

• Identity

  Natural corundum, synthetic, or something else entirely. This is the floor. Everything else assumes it.

• Treatment

  Whether the stone has been heated. An unheated stone of the same size and colour can be worth several times a heated one, which is exactly why the claim needs a report behind it.

• Origin

  An opinion, not a measurement. Laboratories infer origin from inclusions and trace elements, and they sometimes disagree. Treat it as strong evidence rather than proof.

• Weight and measurements

  Carat weight and dimensions in millimetres. Useful for checking that the stone you receive is the stone on the report.

What a report does not tell you

No report grades a sapphire's colour the way diamond reports grade colour and clarity. Terms like royal blue and cornflower are trade language, and GRS is the only major laboratory that puts colour terms on a report at all. Two stones with identical reports can differ in price by a wide margin because one is simply better looking.

Reports also say nothing about cut quality, which decides how much light the stone returns. That is why we show video rather than only stills.

Check the report yourself

Every laboratory listed above runs a public report check. Take the number from the scan on the stone's page, enter it on the laboratory's own site, and confirm that the weight and measurements match what we published. It takes about a minute.

If a seller anywhere will not give you the report number before payment, that is the answer to your question.