At the Gemological Appraisal Laboratory of America, Inc. you get a complete evaluation of your jewelry item, so that you can be confident of your purchase.

Some information you will receive when you get an appraisal at GAL:

CUT: The way a diamond is cut and polished is vital. It is the precision and the delicacy of the cut that dictates the maximum amount of light the diamond will refract and reflect. The better its cut, the greater will be its brilliance, sparkle and fire.

COLOR: Most diamonds look colorless, but there are many subtle shade differences and the closer a diamond is to having no color the more valuable it becomes. Diamonds with no hint of color at all are very rare, but also rare are diamonds with strong color. These are called 'fancies'.

CLARITY: Thanks to nature, every diamond is unique. Each one possesses its own individuality. This could be due to minute traces of other minerals trapped during the crystallization process. These natural characteristics, called 'inclusions' are better described as natures fingerprints and help gemologists determine the age of a diamond.

CARAT (weight): A diamond's weight is the simplest of its characteristics to measure, and from the earliest times has been used to calculate on aspect of the value of a diamond. Each carat is divided into 100 points. For example a quarter of a carat is 25, written as 0.25 carats/ It is easy to weigh an un-mounted diamond, but once it is in a setting, it is only possible to estimate it's weight by using special gauges and formulas.

PLOT OF INCLUSIONS: A plot of inclusions given as a "fingerprint" card to distinguish your diamond from all others.

DIGITAL IMAGE OF ITEM: If requested, on your written appraisal, you will receive a computer image on your appraisal. *Also if requested, a picture of a laser inscribed diamond may be attached to the appraisal.

APPRAISED VALUE: At the time of your consultation, you will be given the wholesale value, as well as the estimated retail value which will be used to insurance purposes.

SIGNATURE OF APPRAISER: At the GAL, every written appraisal is signed and sealed by an experienced appraiser. Insurance companies require that all appraisals issued for insurance purposes be signed by an individual appraiser with a value rather than a company signature.

CORPORATE SEAL: All written appraisals are finished off with a corporate seal stating that the appraisal was done by a graduate gemologist of the G.I.A.