Confirm the receipt of your package by E-mail or telephone. Confirm the fee for IGI services for your approval. Confirm the estimated time of completion with you. For a professional evaluation, expect to pay a fair fee, based upon the length of time necessary for a thorough examination, expressed by a flat fee. Give the gemologist adequate time to carefully examine every facet of your gem or jewelry.
Extensive testing is performed by the use of highly sophisticated gemological equipment.
Often these tests may be time consuming, yet they are necessary for accurate results. Your gemologist will be happy to offer an explanation and show you how they reached their evaluation and conclusions. Precious metals are identified by means of stone and acid test. Diamonds are graded according to the universally accepted nomenclature for color and clarity grading. Colored stones are graded by the International Gemological Institute's nomenclature of color, clarity, tone, color uniformity and brilliance.