The best gem labs

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

This website below seems to have one of the most wide ranging listing.
Of course the Swiss labs are tops but often when we are buying gems in Sri Lanka, Jaipur etc we need a local lab that we can trust to confirm heated treated or not etc.
This should probably be a poll, and maybe a poll could be run with labs from several gem centers, or different individual polls for different places.

Anyway - I bet i am not the only one with issues and I bet there are folk and dealers here who have all the answer!

The List of Top Gem Labs in The World - 2023

The Directory of Gemological Laboratories(Testing Institutes/Gem Identification Labs) in the World: GIA, IGI, ICA, AGL, Gubelin, SSEF, GIC, NGTC, AIGS, CGL, CDTEC, EGL in London, Dubai, Bangkok, New York... To Find Certificate Pricing List and Report Verification for Precious Gemstones: Ruby...

www.gemtochina.com

 

[LilAlex]

Why would I trust the opinion of gemtochina.com? Is that even a thing? Has anyone here ever heard of this before? I would have zero confidence in this list unless it is heavily referenced. I don't even want to click on the link to explore, tbh...

 

[Autumn in New England]

Why would I trust the opinion of gemtochina.com? Is that even a thing? Has anyone here ever heard of this before? I would have zero confidence in this list unless it is heavily referenced. I don't even want to click on the link to explore, tbh...

I think it's just a blog, wherein someone is giving their opinion on the "top gem labs." You see this a lot. So it's certainly not an authoritative list, by any means. But, for the most part, it reads like any other, with your typical institutions mentioned at the top. It definitely gets a little fuzzy, though, as we hit the midway mark. I believe, as Garry stated, many of the labs mentioned on the latter half of the list are provincial facilities used by locals. In other words, proceed at your own risk.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Dear All, I did a 10 minute search for a list that included, as Autumn suggests, smaller local labs. That was the most extensive list I found. Is it best. I don't care.
I am asking for suggestions.
Of course the big names are on all lists. But they are not on the ground in many locations. They are not fast and many small miners cutters and dealers have no way to get goods to them let alone cover the costs.
There must be people here who can add to those lists and also provide critiques of the god bad and ugly

 

[demantoidz]

I think its a good idea if we could know more about better local/small labs, and also their limitations (such as lack of certain machinery to rule out some treatments, lack of report verification)

 

[T L]

There are some gems I only trust with the “big four” -GIA, AGL, GRS or SSEF. This includes corundum, emerald, paraiba, alexandrite, and diamond (GIA exclusively), and some very rare exotic gems.

I think the smaller legitimate labs are fine for everything else.

 

[fredflintstone]

This website below seems to have one of the most wide ranging listing.
Of course the Swiss labs are tops but often when we are buying gems in Sri Lanka, Jaipur etc we need a local lab that we can trust to confirm heated treated or not etc.
This should probably be a poll, and maybe a poll could be run with labs from several gem centers, or different individual polls for different places.

Anyway - I bet i am not the only one with issues and I bet there are folk and dealers here who have all the answer!

The List of Top Gem Labs in The World - 2023

The Directory of Gemological Laboratories(Testing Institutes/Gem Identification Labs) in the World: GIA, IGI, ICA, AGL, Gubelin, SSEF, GIC, NGTC, AIGS, CGL, CDTEC, EGL in London, Dubai, Bangkok, New York... To Find Certificate Pricing List and Report Verification for Precious Gemstones: Ruby...

www.gemtochina.com

I would agree with this list for the most part. Maybe I'd put some higher and lower in their countries of origin, but it is a good list.

Some of the smaller regional labs listed are just as trustworthy. Many of these probably see more stones than the big labs because they are there at the source. Many stones go to these labs first before larger ones.

If anyone knows their stones, it is the source country labs that the stones come from.

 

[T L]

Small labs are fine, my biggest qualm is that they often lack access to the extremely expensive and exclusive machines that can test for things like chemicals, irradiation, or synthetics. Gem treatment is getting more and more sophisticated and the machines necessary to test for these things are highly expensive and specialized. For example, I had to send a sapphire to AGL because AIGS could not definitively tell me if it was chemically enhanced.

 

[fredflintstone]

Small labs are fine, my biggest qualm is that they often lack access to the extremely expensive and exclusive machines that can test for things like chemicals, irradiation, or synthetics. Gem treatment is getting more and more sophisticated and the machines necessary to test for these things are highly expensive and specialized. For example, I had to send a sapphire to AGL because AIGS could not definitively tell me if it was chemically enhanced.

Many stones cannot be tested for irradiation. It just cannot be detected.

Once you seen thousands upon thousands of stones at any lab, you get a very good sense of what has been treated and what has not. Take BE treatment. Any good lab that has seen countless BE treated stones does not need high priced equipment 99.9% of the time. BE treatment raises temperatures to the point that the crystal lattice come to the point of melting and reforming. There are very telltale signs to BE treatment.

Yes, there is always new treatments, but quite a few times it is the small regional labs that find them first. The Emteem Gem Labortory in Sri Lanka was the first lab to find out evidence of diffusion in cobalt blue Spinel. These labs see everything first. Some may not have the budget for hugely expensive equipment, though they can get access to it, but experience is the most valuable tool. It also does not hurt that they are smack in the middle of the gemstone marketplace industry and hear of new techniques from where they originate from the people who are dealing with new treatments.

 

[T L]

Chris Smith of AGL told me that he could sometimes diagnostically tell BE treatment, but not always, and that’s why he used a mass spectrometer on my sapphire.

As for synthetics, I think there is only one machine that can tell a lab diamond from a natural, and GIA owns it. Many lab diamonds are criminally sold as natural these days as the identifying laser inscription can be polished off.

As for irradiation, AGL first identified irradiated emerald, when other labs missed it.

I know not all treatments cannot be accurately identified, but I trust the larger labs to do so.

 

[fredflintstone]

Chris Smith of AGL told me that he could sometimes diagnostically tell BE treatment, but not always, and that’s why he used a mass spectrometer on my sapphire.

As for synthetics, I think there is only one machine that can tell a lab diamond from a natural, and GIA owns it. Many lab diamonds are criminally sold as natural these days as the identifying laser inscription can be polished off.

As for irradiation, AGL first identified irradiated emerald, when other labs missed it.

I know not all treatments cannot be accurately identified, but I trust the larger labs to do so.

Not speaking of Diamonds here.

You cannot detect human induced irradiation in Tourmaline, Zircon, including and most Beryl, even Topaz, though we all know blue Topaz is irradiated and that can be dectected very easily especially in the early stages. Blue Topaz need to sit for sometime before the irradition goes to a low level,

Depends what time frame you are speaking of with Chris Smith. BE treatment was identified the late 90's. It has become more and more identifiable just because of the experience of seeing countless thousands of BE treated stones. After a while you know what to look for. But sure, some may slip through.

These small labs see more stones than the AGL in Sri Lanka and Thailand, just by virtue of their location.

Yes, there are times you need sophisticated equipment, but again, there is no replacement for experience. I trust the AGL, but I trust for example, the Emteem Gem Laboratory just as much. End buyers use the big labs. Dealers on the other hand send their stones to the big labs mostly because they know their customers (end buyers) will want name recognition, not that they feel they are more qualified.

 

[T L]

Not speaking of Diamonds here.

You cannot detect human induced irradiation in Tourmaline, Zircon, including and most Beryl, even Topaz, though we all know blue Topaz is irradiated and that can be dectected very easily especially in the early stages. Blue Topaz need to sit for sometime before the irradition goes to a low level,

Depends what time frame you are speaking of with Chris Smith. BE treatment was identified the late 90's. It has become more and more identifiable just because of the experience of seeing countless thousands of BE treated stones. After a while you know what to look for. But sure, some may slip through.

These small labs see more stones than the AGL in Sri Lanka and Thailand, just by virtue of their location.

Yes, there are times you need sophisticated equipment, but again, there is no replacement for experience. I trust the AGL, but I trust for example, the Emteem Gem Laboratory just as much. End buyers use the big labs. Dealers on the other hand send their stones to the big labs mostly because they know their customers (end buyers) will want name recognition, not that they feel they are more qualified.

True about inability to detect irradiation in some gems, which is why I always stress to people to only buy from dealers that know their source.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Thanks You All.
Yes, diamonds are a different topic. Happy to take that up on RT if you want TL - or you can join the webinar pinned at the top - next week we will discuss tools and that would be a great question to raise.
How do you feel about separate threads starting with say Sri Lanka titled
Best and Worst Labs in Sri Lanka

 

[LilAlex]

It definitely gets a little fuzzy, though, as we hit the midway mark. I believe, as Garry stated, many of the labs mentioned on the latter half of the list are provincial facilities used by locals. In other words, proceed at your own risk.

This is what makes these types of (unvetted) lists so insidious, imo. If a "best colleges" list had Harvard and Yale at the top, they can then bury their biases in the middle of the list after they have "established credibility" in the readers' eyes.

 

[fredflintstone]

This is what makes these types of (unvetted) lists so insidious, imo. If a "best colleges" list had Harvard and Yale at the top, they can then bury their biases in the middle of the list after they have "established credibility" in the readers' eyes.

I just have to say from a past dealers’ experience, we are privy to a lot more labs, only because we are in the business.

Just because you never heard of a gem lab does not make the lab not credible. Man never knew the existence of germs until they were found under a microscope, good or bad. The gemstones dealer’s world is magnified because it must be. Therefore, we do business with many more sources and labs when needed. Not a boast, just a necessity and a natural progression of the business with time.

 

[LilAlex]

Just because you never heard of a gem lab does not make the lab not credible.

I did not say that I do not trust a lab I have never heard of. I do not trust some rando touting a lab I have never heard of on a blog I have never heard of -- and where financial conflicts of interest are not clear. This would go for gem labs, fitness regimens, natural supplements, contraception, financial advice, etc., etc.

 

[demantoidz]

I wouldn't rely on blog posts either, but if there was some other way of getting info about good local labs, it would be beneficial.

 

[fredflintstone]

I did not say that I do not trust a lab I have never heard of. I do not trust some rando touting a lab I have never heard of on a blog I have never heard of -- and where financial conflicts of interest are not clear. This would go for gem labs, fitness regimens, natural supplements, contraception, financial advice, etc., etc.

Point taken, but we all must be open to other suggestions. Calling a list "insidious" is basically calling the list harmful, not trustworthy, not exactly open to the idea of its contents. This was not an advertisement. This person did obviously know about labs. We can all learn sometimes from people we don’t know.

 

[fredflintstone]

I wouldn't rely on blog posts either, but if there was some other way of getting info about good local labs, it would be beneficial.

One way is to google the labs suggested. Read up about them from multiple sources. A very good way to learn if they are trustworthy or not.

 

[demantoidz]

How do you feel about separate threads starting with say Sri Lanka titled
Best and Worst Labs in Sri Lanka

I like the idea, just not sure who would contribute to the thread if most PSers have little to no experience with local SL labs.
I say this because most people who come asking about unfamiliar labs (esp for sapphire and the like) are steered away or told to be cautious, even if the lab might be fine.
But I'd like to be surprised.
Googling about a lab and deciding for myself is fine (as fredflintsonte suggested), but not good enough for me to tell someone else they can trust a lab.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I wouldn't rely on blog posts either, but if there was some other way of getting info about good local labs, it would be beneficial.

Thats what I am proposing.
I will start a poll thread for Sri Lanka.
We can make this into a review thread as topics like this on PS rank very high on search engines.
First though - are there any other labs not in that list? (using it because it seems the longest online list I found)

1. Emteem Gem Laboratory(E.G.Lab/EGL) - Sri Lanka
in Beruwala. - - No Price List to the Public - - Report Verification
very professional in Sapphire & Ruby, a very respected lab, the no.1 lab in Sri Lanka.
http://emteemgemlab.lk/

2. Gemmological Institute of Colombo(GIC) - Sri Lanka
in Colombo. - - No Price List to the Public - - Report Verification
https://www.gicolombo.com/

3. Global Gem Testing Laboratory(GGTL) - Sri Lanka
in Colombo, Beruwala. - - No Price List to the Public - - Report Verification
http://www.ggtlsl.com/


And some more from a Google search

4. GIC https://www.gicolombo.com/

5. French Gem Lab https://www.frenchgemlab.com/

6. Gem Lab Kandy https://glklab.com/

7. A government one??? NGJA https://www.ngja.gov.lk/

8. CGL http://www.ceylongemlaboratory.com/

9. LGL https://lankagemlab.com/

This is another resourcwith a list OMG there are so many!

Gem Testing Lab, Wholesaler & Dealers in Sri Lanka - Where to Find Them?

Find the list of Top Gem Testing Lab, Gemstone Wholesaler & Dealers in Sri Lanka on our business directory. Best Gem Testing Lab, Gemstone Wholesaler & Dealers near me.

classifylanka.com

 

[fredflintstone]

Thats what I am proposing.
I will start a poll thread for Sri Lanka.
We can make this into a review thread as topics like this on PS rank very high on search engines.
First though - are there any other labs not in that list? (using it because it seems the longest online list I found)

1. Emteem Gem Laboratory(E.G.Lab/EGL) - Sri Lanka
in Beruwala. - - No Price List to the Public - - Report Verification
very professional in Sapphire & Ruby, a very respected lab, the no.1 lab in Sri Lanka.
http://emteemgemlab.lk/

2. Gemmological Institute of Colombo(GIC) - Sri Lanka
in Colombo. - - No Price List to the Public - - Report Verification
https://www.gicolombo.com/

3. Global Gem Testing Laboratory(GGTL) - Sri Lanka
in Colombo, Beruwala. - - No Price List to the Public - - Report Verification
http://www.ggtlsl.com/


And some more from a Google search

4. GIC https://www.gicolombo.com/

5. French Gem Lab https://www.frenchgemlab.com/

6. Gem Lab Kandy https://glklab.com/

7. A government one??? NGJA https://www.ngja.gov.lk/

8. CGL http://www.ceylongemlaboratory.com/

9. LGL https://lankagemlab.com/

This is another resourcwith a list OMG there are so many!

Gem Testing Lab, Wholesaler & Dealers in Sri Lanka - Where to Find Them?

Find the list of Top Gem Testing Lab, Gemstone Wholesaler & Dealers in Sri Lanka on our business directory. Best Gem Testing Lab, Gemstone Wholesaler & Dealers near me.

classifylanka.com

This is great, but Gary, this is mostly a consumers forum and just because of that you're are not likely to find answers here.

There is a trade site, which I'm sure you know what site I am speaking of, but it is sadly taboo here.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

This is great, but Gary, this is mostly a consumers forum and just because of that you're are not likely to find answers here.

There is a trade site, which I'm sure you know what site I am speaking of, but it is sadly taboo here.

I have been constantly amazed Fred at the knowledge I pick up reading this forum. I have been a gemmologist for more than 4 decades and taught at the GAA and the Aussie Valuers for most of those years.

I also know that consumers here are pretty savvy and many are serious collectors. I am sure we could help overcome the issue that LilAlex raises - who can trust any of the info about labs.
Sure you can google reviews - but for some smaller labs there will be few or none and most will be done by family and friends.

 

[fredflintstone]

I have been constantly amazed Fred at the knowledge I pick up reading this forum. I have been a gemmologist for more than 4 decades and taught at the GAA and the Aussie Valuers for most of those years.

I also know that consumers here are pretty savvy and many are serious collectors. I am sure we could help overcome the issue that LilAlex raises - who can trust any of the info about labs.
Sure you can google reviews - but for some smaller labs there will be few or none and most will be done by family and friends.

My answer still stands. This is a consumer forum. You are not a consumer. If you really want answers, look to the website I cannot mention here. I am sure you know it as you are one of the controling members here.

To be honest, I see this as drawing more attention to yourself & business than any conclusion, just by the attention this thread draws,

Would you take a consumer’s word on their Diamond and buy it without examining it yourself? I'm sure you would not. But if it had one of three or four Diamond lab reports, that would help. But still, you'd never buy that Diamond without seeing it in hand, after all, it could be a completely different stone. Only good business.

The thing with colored gemstones is, it is not controlled like the Diamond trade and yes, this is a legitimate concern with labs, and that is all the more reason you go to an industry website/forum. Not a consumers’ forum but an industry forum that deals with these labs all the time.

Yes, many members are very well versed here in colored gemstones (I will never deny that), but they do not buy 50, 100, 1000, or more gemstones a month and that is when you depend on the industry to point you in the right direction.

 

[fredflintstone]

I have been constantly amazed Fred at the knowledge I pick up reading this forum. I have been a gemmologist for more than 4 decades and taught at the GAA and the Aussie Valuers for most of those years.

I also know that consumers here are pretty savvy and many are serious collectors. I am sure we could help overcome the issue that LilAlex raises - who can trust any of the info about labs.
Sure you can google reviews - but for some smaller labs there will be few or none and most will be done by family and friends.

I will say this, Gary. You may very well be a great guy and a fair businessman. But this is what my father told me decades ago and at the time I really did not understand but I do now.

My father said, "never tip the bar owner."

 

[icy_jade]

Have heard of people in the trade prefer labs that are more willing to give trade preferred color designations for colored stones (so nearly every stone is a pigeon blood, cornflower, royal or pad, or some creative new “name”). So wouldn’t necessarily say that trade preferred labs are the best. I think people in the trade do know which local labs are stricter but whether those labs get the best Google reviews or if people in the trade will share that info or even go to those labs is another question. After all, if you need to sell a stone and have one lab that is always willing to give trade terms vs another that doesn’t, which will you go to? Hence interesting certs with “pigeon blood” rubies that are red, pinkish red instead of vivid red.

For example in my country, I’m aware of a lab that has terrible Google reviews as it can be slow in providing certification, but I think is much more reliable than another lab that can churn out 10 certs in an hour.

 

[icy_jade]

This website below seems to have one of the most wide ranging listing.
Of course the Swiss labs are tops but often when we are buying gems in Sri Lanka, Jaipur etc we need a local lab that we can trust to confirm heated treated or not etc.
This should probably be a poll, and maybe a poll could be run with labs from several gem centers, or different individual polls for different places.

Anyway - I bet i am not the only one with issues and I bet there are folk and dealers here who have all the answer!

The List of Top Gem Labs in The World - 2023

The Directory of Gemological Laboratories(Testing Institutes/Gem Identification Labs) in the World: GIA, IGI, ICA, AGL, Gubelin, SSEF, GIC, NGTC, AIGS, CGL, CDTEC, EGL in London, Dubai, Bangkok, New York... To Find Certificate Pricing List and Report Verification for Precious Gemstones: Ruby...

www.gemtochina.com

Going back to the list, interesting that GRS has this description (bolded) included:

3. GemResearch Swisslab(GRS) - Switzerland
in Meggen, Paris, Hong Kong, Colombo, Bangkok, New York. - - No Price List to Public - - Report Verification
a very well-known lab, but very very bad record on gem color grading. The biggest joking is that their pigeon blood color is black.
http://gemresearch.ch/

It can very well apply to several labs in Thailand and China (that didn’t have such comments in the list) too. I mean, those labs are even creative enough to come up with trade names like royal red, peacock blue, and nearly any sapphire with some orange can be a pad.

While I do tend to trust them to distinguish an unheated stone, their softness on color grading makes me doubt their reliability for origin and degree of treatment.

 

[fredflintstone]

Have heard of people in the trade prefer labs that are more willing to give trade preferred color designations for colored stones (so nearly every stone is a pigeon blood, cornflower, royal or pad, or some creative new “name”). So wouldn’t necessarily say that trade preferred labs are the best. I think people in the trade do know which local labs are stricter but whether those labs get the best Google reviews or if people in the trade will share that info or even go to those labs is another question. After all, if you need to sell a stone and have one lab that is always willing to give trade terms vs another that doesn’t, which will you go to? Hence interesting certs with “pigeon blood” rubies that are red, pinkish red instead of vivid red.

For example in my country, I’m aware of a lab that has terrible Google reviews as it can be slow in providing certification, but I think is much more reliable than another lab that can churn out 10 certs in an hour.

And that is why many gem dealers go to the big labs. That is why those labs are known more to the end buyer. They're in business to get the gem dealer's business and in return the end buyers’ business and the monetary cycle revolves again and again.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

While I do tend to trust them to distinguish an unheated stone, their softness on color grading makes me doubt their reliability for origin and degree of treatment.

That is what I am wanting to know.
The marketing terms used by labs are nothing new. Even with diamonds and what we all consider to be the most reputable lab that is non profit and their mission is to protect consumers there are heaps of examples where who pays the FerryMan gets a little assistance.
Think semi opaque diamonds with no common language characteristic terminology: Clarity Grade based on Clouds. Clarity Grade based on Internal Graining.
Not to mention cut grades where the top grade is so broad that nearly 80% of all round diamonds achieve it.
And color graded via the pavilion and face up an H colored cushion looks yellower than a J or K well cut round.
And a 1ct J looks whiter than a 10ct G of any same cut.

But do I trust GIA to ensure me the diamond is natural and untreated. YES.
Thats what I want in a colored gem grading report.

 

[icy_jade]

That is what I am wanting to know.

The problem is that there are degrees of treatment and it can significantly affect the price or even durability of colored stones. Like an emerald that has minor vs moderate or significant oiling. Or ruby heated with minor vs moderate residues. If a lab is soft on color grading, can I trust the said lab when they state that oiling is minor?

Don’t know but it does make me avoid any significant purchases based on certain labs/certs. Or I double certify the stone with another local lab that I trust before I buy.