An IGI report is only worth something if you check it. Verifying takes two minutes, costs nothing, and is the single best protection against paying diamond prices for an uncertified or mis-described stone. Here is exactly how to do it, and what to look for once the report is on your screen.
Step 1: find the report number
Every IGI report carries a unique report number, usually nine or ten digits, printed at the top of the certificate. You will also find it in three other places:
- On your GemHub invoice, next to the item description. We print it there so you can verify before the parcel is even opened.
- On the product page for most IGI-certified pieces, in the specifications table.
- Laser-inscribed on the diamond's girdle on most stones. The inscription is microscopic; a jeweller's loupe at 10x magnification, or a phone camera with a macro lens, can usually read it.
Ask for the report number before you pay, not after. A seller who will not share it has told you what you need to know.
Step 2: open IGI's official verification page
Go to the International Gemological Institute's website at igi.org/verify-your-report. Type the address yourself or use this link; do not follow a "verify" link supplied inside a seller's listing, which can point to a lookalike page. Newer IGI reports also carry a QR code that opens the same verification record when scanned.
Step 3: enter the number and read the record
Enter the report number. If the report is genuine, IGI returns the grading record for that stone. Compare it line by line with the physical certificate and with the product listing:
- Report type: for a lab-grown diamond the record and certificate must say "Laboratory Grown Diamond Report". A natural diamond carries a "Diamond Report". If a seller describes a stone as natural and the record says laboratory grown, stop.
- Shape and cutting style: round brilliant, cushion, emerald and so on.
- Measurements in millimetres: the three dimensions should match the certificate exactly. This is the hardest detail for a fraudster to fake, because it must also match the physical stone.
- Carat weight to two decimal places.
- Colour grade (D to Z) and clarity grade (FL to I3).
- Cut grade (for round brilliants), plus polish and symmetry.
- Fluorescence.
- Inscription: the record notes whether the stone is laser-inscribed and with what text, usually the report number itself.
- Growth method for lab-grown stones, CVD or HPHT, where reported.
Step 4: match the record to the stone in your hand
A genuine report can still be paired with the wrong diamond. Three checks close that gap:
- Read the girdle inscription under a loupe and confirm it matches the report number.
- Measure the stone if you have a jeweller's gauge, or ask the jeweller to measure it in front of you, and compare with the millimetre dimensions on the record.
- Compare the clarity plot. Many reports include a plotted diagram of inclusions; under magnification the inclusions should sit where the plot shows them.
At the GemHub experience store in Sector 45, Gurugram, we do all three at the counter before you leave. For online orders, do them when the parcel arrives; you have a 30-day return window on ready-to-ship pieces if anything does not match.
Red flags to watch for
- The seller shares a photo of a certificate but not the number, or the number returns "not found" on IGI's site.
- The listing says "IGI certified" but the stone below 0.30 ct has no individual report. Small accent stones are usually not certified individually; the centre stone should be.
- Colour or clarity on the listing is higher than on the record. "VVS" in the title but "SI1" on the report is a common mismatch.
- The record says laboratory grown while the seller uses words like "real", "natural" or "mined" without qualification.
- A "certificate" from an unknown laboratory with no online verification. IGI, GIA and a small number of other laboratories offer public online verification; in-house "certificates" from the seller are not independent.
IGI versus GIA: does it matter?
Both are internationally recognised laboratories with online verification. GIA is the longest-established name for natural diamonds; IGI grades the majority of lab-grown diamonds sold worldwide and is the standard you will see on lab-grown jewellery in India. For a lab-grown stone, an IGI report with a verified number is exactly what you want. Read more in our guide to what IGI certified really means.
What about moissanite and gold?
Moissanite is certified by GRA, not IGI; the GRA certificate confirms the stone is genuine moissanite and states its carat, colour and clarity. Gold purity is verified separately by the BIS hallmark and its six-character HUID, which you can check with the BIS Care app. A complete GemHub piece in gold with a lab-grown centre stone therefore carries two independent checks: IGI for the diamond and BIS for the metal.
How GemHub makes verification easy
- Every lab-grown diamond centre stone above 0.30 ct carries an individual IGI report.
- The report number is printed on your invoice and, where available, on the product page.
- The physical certificate ships with the piece in the box.
- Our team will read the inscription and measure the stone with you at the Sector 45 showroom, or on a free video call before you order.
Ready to put this into practice? Browse IGI-certified lab-grown diamond jewellery or lab-grown diamond engagement rings, and verify the number on any piece before you check out.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I verify an IGI certificate?
On the International Gemological Institute's own website, on its Verify Your Report page. Enter the report number printed on the certificate, the invoice or the diamond's girdle.
Is IGI verification free?
Yes. Looking up a report number on IGI's website is free and does not require an account.
What if the report number is not found?
Check for a typo first. If the number still returns nothing, treat the certificate as unverified and do not pay until the seller resolves it.
Does the IGI report say if a diamond is lab-grown?
Yes. Lab-grown stones receive a Laboratory Grown Diamond Report, and the record states this clearly. Natural stones receive a Diamond Report.
Are small diamonds in my ring IGI certified too?
Usually not. Individual reports are issued for centre stones (at GemHub, above 0.30 ct). Small accent stones are graded as part of the piece, not individually.
