Diamond Grading Reports from 2 Labs Added to RapNet

New York--RapNet now is listing diamonds with reports from GHI Gemological Laboratory and De Beers’ International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research.

GHI Gemological Laboratory announced its listing on RapNet last week.

The lab said that in addition to the information available through RapNet’s view and report check functions, the GHI digital diamond report listings will link to high-resolution color diamond images.

GHI said it also issues cut grade reports for premium round and princess-cut diamonds, using its own scale for cut grading with ideal as the top grade, and reports for diamond jewelry.

GHI Gemological Laboratory is owned by the same individual who owns EGL USA, which had its reports removed from RapNet along with all other EGL-graded diamonds in September 2014.  

Part of Gemology Headquarters International, a research-only facility EGL USA’s owner opened in Miami in 2007, GHI Gemological Laboratory began issuing grading reports just last year, giving EGL USA’s owner a fresh brand name and distance from the tarnished EGL brand as well as the chance to be listed on RapNet again.

When asked about the platform’s decision to begin listing GHI-graded diamonds, RapNet COO Saville Stern said Monday that RapNet will list any diamonds with lab reports that meet RapNet standards.

But there is “absolutely no way” the platform will begin listing any EGL-graded diamonds again, including EGL USA.

“The EGL brand is completely banned from RapNet,” Stern said. “There are too many certs out there that are over-graded.”

And this week, De Beers announced that polished diamonds with grading reports from its International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research (IIDGR) now can be listed on RapNet.

The laboratory is headquartered in Antwerp, with branches in Surat, India and the United Kingdom. It once graded only Forevermark diamonds but recently opened to the general trade.

The IIDGR also is the facility that developed an automated melee tester, which can take in up to 500 carats of melee at one time and sort potentially lab-grown diamonds from mined ones.