An IGI certificate is an independent grading report from the International Gemological Institute. It documents a diamond's 4Cs, its carat, cut, colour, and clarity, and carries a report number laser inscribed on the stone itself, so the paper and the diamond are one. For a lab-grown diamond, it confirms exactly what you own.
What does an IGI certificate tell you?
An IGI report grades a diamond on the 4Cs and records the details that define it. Read from the top, it tells you the carat weight, the cut grade, the colour grade, and the clarity grade, along with measurements, proportions, polish, and symmetry. For a lab-grown diamond, the report also states that the stone was lab-grown and notes how it was made. At the centre of it all is the report number, laser inscribed on the girdle of the diamond in letters too small to see with the eye but visible under magnification. Match that number to the certificate and you know the report in your hand belongs to the stone on your finger.
Are IGI-certified lab grown diamonds real?
Yes. A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond. It has the same carbon crystal structure, the same hardness, and the same brilliance as a diamond formed in the earth, which is why IGI grades it on exactly the same 4Cs scale. The word lab-grown on the report is not a caveat. It is a statement of origin, and a mark of transparency. If you want the full picture of how the two compare, read our guide to lab-grown vs natural diamonds.
How to read an IGI diamond report
Once you know what to look for, an IGI report is simple to judge. These are the four things worth checking before you decide.
- The report number and the inscription. Find the number on the certificate, then ask to see it laser inscribed on the diamond. They must match. This is what makes the paper and the stone one and the same.
- The cut grade. Cut is where a diamond earns its light. Look for an ideal cut, the grade that returns the most brightness.
- Colour and clarity. Ask precisely what you are getting. The higher up the scale, the whiter the stone and the cleaner it is inside.
- The growth method. For a lab-grown diamond the report will note how it was made. Both methods produce a real diamond, so this need not worry you.
What the 4Cs do not tell you: the light performance report
The 4Cs describe what a diamond is. They do not tell you how it behaves in the light on your hand. That is why every Nivara diamond ships with a light performance report alongside its IGI certificate. It grades how the diamond returns light: its brightness, all the white light it sends back to your eye; its fire, the flashes of colour; and its contrast, the crisp balance of light and dark that makes a stone look alive. The 4Cs tell you what you are buying. The light performance report shows you how it will look when you wear it.
The Nivara standard, IGI-certified
At Nivara there is one standard, and every diamond meets it. Every Nivara diamond is VVS in clarity and E in colour, an ideal cut, hearts and arrows precise, chosen by our gemologists, and passed through 27 quality checks before it is ever set. Every one is IGI-certified, its report number laser inscribed on the stone, and every one arrives with its own light performance report. The price is simple and the same for everyone, and you can see it plainly in our guide to lab-grown diamond prices in India. If you are comparing grading labs, our note on IGI vs GIA for lab-grown diamonds lays out what actually matters.
Frequently asked questions about IGI certification
Are IGI-certified lab grown diamonds real?
Yes. A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond with the same carbon structure, hardness, and brilliance as a mined one, which is why IGI grades it on the same 4Cs scale. The report simply states the stone's origin. Every Nivara diamond is IGI-certified, with its report number laser inscribed on the stone.
What does an IGI certificate tell you?
An IGI certificate documents a diamond's 4Cs: its carat weight, cut grade, colour grade, and clarity grade, along with measurements, polish, and symmetry. For a lab-grown diamond it also states the growth method. Its report number is laser inscribed on the stone, so the certificate and the diamond match exactly.
Which is better, IGI or GIA?
Both are respected independent laboratories, and neither makes a diamond better than the other. IGI grades the majority of the world's lab-grown diamonds; GIA is long trusted too. What matters is that the report number matches the stone. Nivara diamonds are IGI-certified, laser inscribed, and shipped with a light performance report.
Is a lab grown diamond a real diamond?
Yes. A lab-grown diamond is chemically, physically, and optically a real diamond. It is grown from a diamond seed rather than mined, and it grades on the same 4Cs as any diamond. An IGI certificate confirms exactly what you own, and every Nivara diamond arrives IGI-certified with its report number inscribed on the stone.
A certificate is proof, and proof should be easy to hold. Come and see it for yourself: match the number on the paper to the number on the stone, and read the light performance report in the light. Explore our lab-grown diamond solitaires, or book a private viewing at a Nivara showroom in Hyderabad, Bangalore, or Indore.
