Grading Report, Appraisal, Receipt: What Should Come With Your Diamond

A diamond arrives with paperwork, and the paperwork is not decoration - each document answers a different question, and confusing them is how buyers end up protected in the wrong way. Here is what the three main documents are, what each one proves, and what should come home with your stone.

The grading report: what the stone is

A grading report from an independent gemmological laboratory describes the stone itself: carat weight, cut assessment, colour and clarity grades, measurements, and for lab-grown diamonds, confirmation of how the stone was grown. It is an opinion from specialists who have no stake in the sale, and it is the document that lets you compare one stone against another on equal terms. For any significant diamond, a report from a recognised independent laboratory is the baseline - ask which laboratory, and look the report number up on that laboratory's own website before you buy.

The appraisal: what it is insured for

An appraisal is different: it assigns a value for a stated purpose, usually insurance. It is typically prepared by the jeweller or an independent valuer, and it describes the finished piece - stone, setting and all. Two things to understand: an appraisal is not independent verification of quality the way a laboratory report is, and the figure on it reflects its purpose. What you need is simply a clear, itemised document that your insurer accepts, refreshed every few years as markets move.

The receipt: what you actually agreed

The humblest document matters most in practice. The receipt should state everything in plain words: the metal and its fineness, the stone's report number, the ring size, any treatments disclosed, the warranty and the service terms - resizing, prong checks, polishing. If something was promised at the counter, it belongs on this paper. A jeweller confident in their work puts it in writing without being asked twice.

Editorial Concept / DiagramAI Illustration (Non-Catalogue)

What to expect for lab-grown stones

For lab-grown diamonds, expect the report to state the growth method and every grading category a mined stone would carry. The standards of description are the same; only the origin line differs. Be cautious of vague in-house certificates that grade their own goods - independence is the entire point of the document.

Keep them like the stone depends on it

Store the report and appraisal somewhere safe and separate from the jewellery itself, and keep photographs of the piece with them. If the worst happens - loss, theft, an insurance claim - these papers are your proof of exactly what you owned, and replacing them after the fact is far harder than filing them on day one.

What to ask before you pay

Three questions: which independent laboratory graded this stone, and can I verify the report number myself? Will I receive an itemised appraisal my insurer can use? And will the receipt list the metal fineness, the report number and the service terms? If all three answers come easily, you are dealing with the right seller.

Documented from the start, with Shewah

Every Shewah piece ships with an independent laboratory grading report for its lab-grown diamonds, a clear itemised invoice and our service commitment in writing. Explore Shewah's jewellery or message us on WhatsApp at +91 96622 66360 with any questions about paperwork.

Editorial Concept / DiagramAI Illustration (Non-Catalogue)

Sources

• Diamond clarity - Wikipedia
• Diamond cut - Wikipedia
• Gemstone - Wikipedia