Gem Laboratory Reports for Emeralds
When looking at emeralds that cost a few thousand dollars or more (sometimes much, much more), there are always reports available for review. If there are no lab reports, the buyer can request one before purchase of the emerald and the dealer often covers the cost (for emeralds under $1,000 the buyer will most likely pay an additional fee).
Lab reports also list contact information for verification of the reports they generate. This certifies the authenticity of these particular gems for the benefit of both the vendors and the consumers.
For grading consistency, most labs follow similar practices to ensure accuracy and avoid conflicts of interest. How all this is executed does vary from lab to lab, including certain details of what is written in the reports.
When an emerald is rare and beautiful enough to go to auction, they will often have multiple lab reports. This does not indicate one lab is better than another, but functions as a second, separate gemological opinion to ensure authenticity.
Common Problems
Limited Color Definition – The reports from most of these labs only give the “Hue” of a gemstone. Meanwhile color is made of three parts: hue, tone, and saturation. Hue is the basic color, meanwhile the other dimensions of tone and saturation are ignored. This is not because they do not understand the importance of the other color dimensions.
- Based on my own training at one of these labs (GIA specifically) they avoid giving as many details as possible to reduce their overall accountability and liability with any listed information. While the hue-only practice benefits the labs, it does not benefit customer confidence. I also take issue with how most labs do not include color-accurate photos of these gems, with some better about this than others.
Small, Spectacular Teams – Labs that are smaller only have a few gemologists instead of a network to double-check the grading for consistency. This also makes the turn-around time on the lab reports very long, and can create long and large wait-lists. It is also a problem for dealers being without stones for too long, since clients might request to see these in person while they are away and hurts the dealer’s image. The gemologists on these teams are usually spectacular and living gem encyclopedias, but this can create issues in grading consistency.
Here is a list of some of the most reputable gemological labs. For more details on parts of these answers, please scroll down below.
| Labs | G | GIA | SSEF | GRS | GAAJ | AIGS | GIT | C. D | LG |
| International Reputation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Accredited Lab Gemologists | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes* | Yes* | Yes* |
| Multiple Teams | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Lab-Grade Equipment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Thorough Color Criteria | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Trade Names | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geographic Origin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gemological Education | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Lab Report with Origin, 2ct | USD $700 | USD $150 | USD $920 | USD $150 | No USD | USD $100 | USD $50 | USD $175 | USD $110 |
Gemological Lab Credibility Factors
Established: 1923 Reputation: International Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists Equipment: Latest gemological equipment Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed Gemological Labs: Lucerne, Switzerland/ New York City, New York/ Hong Kong, China Gemological Education: Offers courses in Hong Kong and Lucerne Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $700 Established: 1931 Reputation: International Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists Equipment: Latest gemological equipment Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed Gemological Labs: Carlsbad, California / New York City, New York/ Hong Kong, China/ Antwerp, Belgium/ Ramat Gan, Israel/ Gaborone, Botswana/ Johannesburg, South Africa/ Surat, India/ Mumbai, India/ Bangkok, Thailand/ Tokyo, Japan Gemological Education: Carlsbad, California/ New York City, New York/ London, United Kingdom/ Surat, India/ Mumbai, India/ Bangkok, Thailand/ Hong Kong, China/ Taipei, Taiwan Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $150 Established: 1974 Reputation: International Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists Equipment: Latest gemological equipment Color-Grading Criteria: Lists “Hue” and “Saturation” - No trade names Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed Gemological Labs: Basel, Switzerland Gemological Education: Offers training in Basel, Switzerland Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $920 Established: 1996 Reputation: International Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists - But all reports are vetted by Dr. A Peretti. Equipment: Latest gemological equipment Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed Gemological Labs: New York City, New York/ Paris, France/ Meggen, Switzerland/ Hong Kong, China/ Colombo, Sri Lanka/ Bangkok, Thailand Gemological Education: None Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $150 Established: 1965 ~ Tentative - This lab has technically been around since 1965, but their accredited research only goes back 40 years. Reputation: Regional Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists Equipment: Latest gemological equipment Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed Gemological Labs: Tokyo, Japan/ Ramat Gan, Israel Gemological Education: None Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: Not available in USD Established: 1978 Reputation: Regional Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists Equipment: Latest gemological equipment Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed Gemological Labs: Bangkok, Thailand Gemological Education: Offers courses in Bangkok, Thailand Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $100 Established: 2004 Reputation: Regional Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists, but limited staff Equipment: Latest gemological equipment Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed Gemological Labs: Bangkok, Thailand Gemological Education: Offers courses in Bangkok, Thailand Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $50 Established: 2008 Reputation: International Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists, but all lab reports go through Mr. Dunaigre Equipment: Latest gemological equipment Color-Grading Criteria: Lists “Hue”, “Saturation”, and trade terms Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed, as well as Mr. Dunaigre’s personal, highly educated opinion Gemological Labs: Switzerland Gemological Education: None Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $175 Established: 2014 Reputation: Regional - Evaluations Limited, only review Sapphires, Rubies, and Spinel Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists, but there are only two people Equipment: Latest gemological equipment Color-Grading Criteria: Evaluates gems based on “Hue”, “Tone”, and “Saturation”, which also helps to standardize appearances of gems using trade terms. Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed Gemological Labs: Bangkok, Thailand Gemological Education: None Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $110 Gubelin Gem Lab (G)
Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
Swiss Gemological Institute (SSEF)
Gem Research Swiss Lab (GRS)
Gemological Association of All Japan (GAAJ)
Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS)
Gem & Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT)
C. Dunaigre (C. D.)
Lotus Gemology (LG)
About Laboratory Locations
Many of these labs appear in the same locations like New York, Switzerland, and Bangkok, Thailand. This is because more gems go through these locations than anywhere else in the world, especially Thailand’s historic markets. Sri Lanka might lay claim to the titles of “Island of Gems” and have a “City of Gems”, but Bangkok is regarded as the “Gemstone Capital of the World”. It is important to note that Thailand has problems with gems being illegally smuggled into the country and sold.