The Truth About Diamond Certification and Why It Matters

At Haejin Jewelry, we don’t just sell jewelry. We stand for something. In an industry where sparkle can sometimes distract from truth, we believe in radical transparency. That means giving you the full picture, even when it's not convenient for us.

Before you make one of the most meaningful purchases of your life, we want you to know exactly what you’re buying, what the certificate means, and what other retailers may not be telling you.

Because not all diamonds or diamond sellers are created equal.

What Is a Diamond Certificate?

A diamond certificate is a detailed report issued by an independent gemological laboratory. It verifies key characteristics of the diamond such as cut, clarity, color, and carat weight, and confirms whether it’s natural or lab-grown.

You’ll hear a lot about grading labs, but only two names consistently stand above the rest:

GIA – Gemological Institute of America

IGI – International Gemological Institute

Both are independent organizations that play an important role in today’s diamond market. GIA is a nonprofit institute known for setting the global standard in diamond grading. IGI, while operated as a for-profit lab, is widely recognized and trusted by many jewelers and retailers, especially in the lab-grown diamond space. Each serves a slightly different role, offering consumers valuable information to make confident, informed choices.

GIA vs. IGI — What’s the Difference?

The GIA has long been considered the gold standard for grading natural diamonds. Their reports are famously strict, conservative, and meticulous. GIA only began grading lab-grown diamonds in recent years, and while they’re slowly catching up, their primary expertise is still in natural stones.

On the other hand, IGI was one of the first major organizations to embrace lab-grown diamonds. They’ve been grading lab-grown stones for over a decade and have established consistent, reliable practices trusted by major jewelry houses across the world.

That’s why most lab-grown diamonds today are IGI-certified. The turnaround is faster, the grading is fair, and the certification is widely accepted, especially in the United States and Europe.

At Haejin Jewelry, we work with both labs. We believe in truth over marketing. If a diamond is IGI-certified, it’s because we trust their experience with lab-grown stones. If it’s GIA-certified, it’s because that particular stone matched GIA’s grading scope. Either way, the report will be authentic, verifiable, and matched to your diamond.

What Many Retailers Don’t Want to Talk About

In the rush to capitalize on the growing demand for lab-grown diamonds, many companies are cutting corners behind the scenes.

Here’s how it often works:

They buy stones in bulk from overseas manufacturers, often from factories where quality control takes a backseat to volume.

They request grading certificates, but match them loosely and sometimes inaccurately.

They upcharge lower-quality stones by misrepresenting the grade or using third-party labs that sound impressive but lack independent authority.

And most customers never know, because they aren’t told what to look for, and no one encourages them to check.

At Haejin Jewelry, we believe that’s dishonest and unacceptable. You deserve better.

Our Promise to You

We made a conscious choice when we launched Haejin. We will not pad our margins by playing games with certificates, grading, or sourcing.

Every single engagement diamond we sell is:

• Certified by either IGI or GIA
• Laser-inscribed with a unique number, invisible to the naked eye but verifiable under magnification
• Traceable in public databases, where you can look up the certificate and confirm the match yourself
• Sourced from reputable, U.S.-based suppliers, not anonymous offshore factories

We don’t inflate grades.

We don’t guess.

And we don’t mark up a low-quality stone just to make it look more premium on paper.

If that means we make less, that’s okay. We’ll sleep better knowing what we sold you is real.

How to Check a Diamond’s Certificate

Every certified diamond from Haejin Jewelry comes with a matching report you can look up yourself — directly from the lab’s own
database.

• Verify IGI Report
• Verify GIA Report

Don’t just take our word for it. Trust the independent labs. And if anything ever feels off, let us know. We’ll walk through it with you. No dodging. No vague answers. Just clarity.

Why Lab-Grown Still Faces Misunderstanding

Even though lab-grown diamonds are physically, chemically, and optically identical to mined diamonds, some customers still hesitate. Not because of the quality, but because of the perception.

That’s normal. Every innovation faces doubt at first. But we
are well past the early days. Lab-grown diamonds are now recognized by every
major grading lab, offered by top jewelers worldwide, and chosen by a growing number of couples who believe in modern love and conscious choices.

If you’re one of them, you’re not behind. You’re ahead.

What Makes Haejin Jewelry Different

We don’t just sell ethical jewelry. We live by ethical values.

We donate 10 percent of our profits to causes that support communities harmed by unethical mining practices.

We only use diamonds that are fully certified and traceable.

We don’t use gimmicks, inflated pricing, or emotional pressure.

We stand by every piece we sell. If something doesn’t feel right, we’ll fix it.

You’re not just buying a ring. You’re joining a movement that honors love, integrity, and the belief that beauty should never come at someone else’s expense.

We’re not here to sell you the most expensive ring.

We’re here to help you choose one that means something.

Let us know if you have questions. We’ll tell you everything we know — honestly, transparently, and without ego.

Because we believe that’s how love should be too.