Gem Laboratory Reports for Rubies
When looking at rubies that cost a few thousand dollars or much, much more, there are always reports available for review. If there are no lab reports, the buyer can request one before purchase of the ruby and the dealer often covers the cost (for rubies under $1,000 the buyer might need to pay an additional fee).
Lab reports also list contact information for verification of the reports they generate. This certifies the authenticity of these particular gems for both the vendors and the consumers.
For grading consistency, most labs follow similar practices to ensure accuracy and avoid conflict of interests. How all this is executed does vary from lab to lab, including certain details of what is written in the reports.
When a ruby is rare and beautiful enough to go to auction, they will often have multiple lab reports. This does not indicate one lab is better than another, but functions as a second, separate gemological opinion to ensure authenticity.
Common Problems
Limited Color Definition – The reports from most of these labs only give the “hue” of a gemstone. Color is made of three parts: hue, tone, and saturation. Hue is the basic color, meanwhile the other dimensions of tone and saturation are ignored. This is not because they do not understand the importance of the other color dimensions.
- Based on my own training at one of these labs (GIA specifically) they avoid giving as many details as possible to reduce their overall accountability and liability with any listed information. While the hue-only practice benefits the labs, it does not benefit customer confidence. I also take issue with how most labs do not include color-accurate photos of these gems, although some are better about this than others.
Small, Spectacular Teams – Labs that are smaller only have a few gemologists instead of a network to double-check the grading for consistency. This also makes the turn-around time on the lab reports (and subsequently the physical gems) very long, and can create lengthy wait-lists. It is also a problem for dealers being without stones for too long, since clients might request to see these in person while they are away at the lab and hurts the dealer’s image. The gemologists on these teams are usually spectacular and living gem encyclopedias, but this can create issues in grading consistency.
Here is a list of some of the most reputable gemological labs. For more details on parts of these answers, please scroll down below.
| Labs | GUBELIN | GIA | SSEF | GRS | GAAJ | AIGS | GIT | C.D | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Reputation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Accredited Lab Gemologists | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple Teams | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Lab-Grade Equipment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Thorough Color Criteria | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Trade Names | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geographic Origin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gemological Education | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Lab Report with Origin, 2ct | USD $700 | USD $150 | USD $920 | USD $150 | No USD | USD $100 | USD $50 | USD $175 | USD $110 |
Gemological Lab Credibility Factors
Gubelin Gem Lab (G)
Established: 1923
Reputation: International
Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists
Equipment: Latest gemological equipment
Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed
Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed
Gemological Labs: Lucerne, Switzerland / New York City, New York / Hong Kong, China
Gemological Education: Offers courses in Hong Kong and Lucerne
Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $700
Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
Established: 1931
Reputation: International
Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists
Equipment: Latest gemological equipment
Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed
Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed
Gemological Labs: Carlsbad, California / New York City, New York / Hong Kong, China / Antwerp, Belgium / Ramat Gan, Israel / Gaborone, Botswana / Johannesburg, South Africa / Surat, India / Mumbai, India / Bangkok, Thailand / Tokyo, Japan
Gemological Education: Carlsbad, California / New York City, New York / London, United Kingdom / Surat, ndia / Mumbai,India / Bangkok,Thailand / Hong Kong, China / Taipei, Taiwan
Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $150
Swiss Gemological Institute (SSEF)
Established: 1974
Reputation: International
Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists
Equipment: Latest gemological equipment
Color-Grading Criteria: Lists “Hue” and “Saturation” - No trade names
Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed
Gemological Labs: Basel, Switzerland
Gemological Education: Offers training in Basel, Switzerland
Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $920
Gem Research Swiss Lab (GRS)
Established: 1996
Reputation: International
Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists - But all reports are vetted by Dr. A Peretti.
Equipment: Latest gemological equipment
Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed
Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed
Gemological Labs:New York City, New York / Paris, France / Meggen, Switzerland / Hong Kong, China / Colombo, Sri Lanka / Bangkok, Thailand
Gemological Education: None
Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $150
Gemological Association of All Japan (GAAJ)
Established: 1965 ~ Tentative - This lab has technically been around since 1965, but their accredited research only goes back 40 years.
Reputation: Regional
Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists
Equipment: Latest gemological equipment
Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed
Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed
Gemological Labs: Tokyo, Japan / Ramat Gan, Israel
Gemological Education: None
Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: Not available in USD
Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS)
Established: 1978
Reputation: Regional
Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists
Equipment: Latest gemological equipment
Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed
Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed
Gemological Labs: Bangkok, Thailand
Gemological Education: Offers courses in Bangkok, Thailand
Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $100
Gem & Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT)
Established: 2004
Reputation: Regional
Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists, but limited staff
Equipment: Latest gemological equipment
Color-Grading Criteria: Limited to “Hue” - Trade names listed
Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed
Gemological Labs: Bangkok, Thailand
Gemological Education: Offers courses in Bangkok, Thailand
Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $50
C. Dunaigre (C. D.)
Established: 2008
Reputation: International
Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists, but all lab reports go through Mr. Dunaigre
Equipment: Latest gemological equipment
Color-Grading Criteria: Lists “Hue”, “Saturation”, and trade terms
Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed, as well as Mr. Dunaigre’s personal, highly-educated opinion
Gemological Labs: Switzerland
Gemological Education: None
Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $175
Lotus Gemology (LG)
Established: 2014
Reputation: Regional - Evaluations Limited, only review Sapphires, Rubies, and Spinel
Staff: Experienced staff of trained gemologists, but there are only two people
Equipment: Latest gemological equipment
Color-Grading Criteria: Evaluates gems based on “Hue”, “Tone”, and “Saturation”, which also helps to standardize appearances of gems using trade terms.
Geographic Origin: Provides information about where the gem formed
Gemological Labs: Bangkok, Thailand
Gemological Education: None
Price for 2ct Full Gem Reports: USD $110
About Laboratory Locations
Many of these labs appear in the same locations like New York, Switzerland, and Bangkok, Thailand. This is because more gems go through these locations than anywhere else in the world, especially Thailand’s historic markets. Sri Lanka might lay claim to the titles of “Island of Gems” and have a “City of Gems”, but Bangkok is regarded as the “Gemstone Capital of the World”. Also note that Thailand has problems with gems being illegally smuggled into the country and sold.