The European Gemological Laboratory (E.G.L.).

As compared to the G.I.A., the E.G.L. is considered to be not so strict because the E.G.L. has sometimes been known to assign a higher grade on diamonds that have grades on the line between two grades. So, a diamond with an E.G.L. quality certificate may be assigned a lower grade if it is examined by the G.I.A.

Though, the E.G.L. certification has less information about blemishes and inclusions than the G.I.A. quality report, the E.G.L. report includes the important data about pavilion and crown angles.

Diamonds with E.G.L. quality certificates are considerably lower in cost than equal quality G.I.A. certified diamonds. Therefore, many diamonds smaller than one carat are certified by E.G.L. Apart from the lower price the E.G.L. has another advantage – faster service. Like G.I.A., E.G.L. also provides a miniature version of its full certification.

E.G.L. certifications are considered to be quite reliable but one must be ready to find possible inconsistencies and limitations when comparing diamond certifications between different gemological laboratories.