Anyone know anything about NGL cert?

[SparkleRx]

Hi all,

I am curious if anyone knows anything about certification from "National Gemological Laboratories, Inc." (NGL)

I did a search here on pricescope but everything seems to date from 2003-2005, nothing current. I did find their website (http://nationalgemologicallaboratory.com/index.html) and they seem to just not be well known and only in local areas.

The cert letterhead says: National Gemological Laboratories, Inc., Grading certificate, Independent Diamond and Gem Certification Laboratory. A vendor I am looking into only uses NGL based out of NYC - not sure why he doesn''t use a different cert but he says NGL is well known locally. (they seem to grade diamonds and gemstones)

Any info is appreciated!

 

[denverappraiser]

The site you liked to is Art Demillo, and Art actually changed the name of his company because of confusion with some folks in NYC who were producing documents under the same company name. Scan the report, email him and ask if it's his work or someone else's.

Date: 11/2/2008 7:55:02 PM
Author:SparkleRx
not sure why he doesn't use a different cert but he says NGL is well known locally.

I’ll betcha I can guess why your dealer uses NGL instead of a more recognized lab. In fact, I’ll betcha you can guess too if you think about it.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[SparkleRx]

Hi Neil,

Thanks! After searching a bit more, I do see that Art Demillo is a different NGL (despite his web address). I am thinking this cert is NOT Art''s but may as well ask.

For others who don''t know the difference between different certs (like me), I found this website that is a bit helpful (and I found my NGL): http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Education/Certification/Certification.asp

So I am assuming the NGL I am talking about may not be accurate and the vendor uses NGL to either get the specs he wants or owns NGL? I see this vendor uses NGL for all of his gems and has 100% feedback with over 3,000 purchases. Dang, the close ups of his gems looked pretty good too. I just can''t find any complaints on this NGL business (BBB or blogs).

Thanks Neil.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 11/2/2008 7:55:02 PM
Author:SparkleRx
Hi all,

I am curious if anyone knows anything about certification from 'National Gemological Laboratories, Inc.' (NGL)

Any info is appreciated!

NGL= No Good Lab.

 

[denverappraiser]

Dealers choice of labs is a strategic one. It’s that simple. There are lots of competitors, it’s very easy to choose one over the other, the fees generally are not enough different to be important and even the speed of service has stopped being a problem.

GIA is the recognized brand. It’s the default. In any ranking of labs, they are going to be divided into two categories, GIA and other. There are NEVER potential customers who complain about GIA and there are ALWAYS potential customers who complain about anything else. Yup, even AGS because plenty of people have never heard of them. All things being equal, GIA wins every time because, well, they’re GIA.

OK, so why do other labs exist at all? They all have their benefits and there are some good reasons to use them but these reasons aren’t necessarily in your best interest. Most are cheaper than GIA and most are a little bit faster. Most are a lot more friendly and easier to do business with. Sometimes location is important (folks in Belgium find it a lot easier to work with HRD in Antwerp than with GIA in NYC for example. IGI makes it very easy for clients in India to do business with them). This is all little things. The big thing is about the money (isn’t it always?).

Labs do not all use the same scales and they do not apply their scales equally. One lab may call it an E while another may call it an F. One lab’s idea of SI1 may be another lab’s idea of I1. One lab may call a stone ‘poor’ cut while another may call it ‘premium’ or just say nothing at all. ‘Medium’ fluorescence in one place may be ‘strong’ in another. One lab may have a grading system for clarity enhanced or synthetic goods while another may refuse that work entirely. GIA, for example, will simply not grade CE diamonds. Some, notably the AGS-0 grade from AGSL trades at a premium stones get submitted to them for that reason.

The important thing to remember is that the purpose of this document is to serve as an advertisement and that YOU were not the client. This document is being showed to you because the seller believes that it will result in the stone selling fastest and for the highest price. It may have even been sent to several labs and then a report was chosen that they thought would present the stone in it’s best light. That’s ok for what it is, the dealer’s job is to make things look attractive to their buyers but it’s a serious mistake to assume that these documents tell you the same things or that they are comparable to one another. If you don’t know the lab and don’t have reason to rely on them, don’t. If you have reason to believe that a particular lab is misleading, don’t just hold it against the lab, hold it against the dealer who is trying to get you to rely on them.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver