Laboratory reports
Verification
A report is only worth as much as its link to the stone. How to check that a report is genuine and belongs to exactly this stone.
Laboratory reports can be forged, and a genuine report can be attached to a different stone. Verification therefore has two steps: is the report genuine, and does it belong to this stone?
Step 1: check the report with the laboratory
Leading laboratories offer online verification. With the report number, sometimes together with the weight, the report can be retrieved from the laboratory's database. Many reports carry a QR code, holograms or other security features. Always use the laboratory's official route, not a link from an email or an offer.
Step 2: match stone and report
- Weight: must match to two decimal places
- Dimensions: in millimetres, within a small measuring tolerance
- Shape and cut: as described in the report
- Colour and appearance: compared with the photograph in the report
- Inclusions: characteristic features, if described or plotted
For diamonds, a laser inscription of the report number on the girdle, visible under magnification, is often added.
If something does not match
If a detail differs, there may be harmless reasons, such as repolishing that slightly reduced the weight. A new report then provides clarity. Larger discrepancies are a serious warning sign.
Why the chain of custody helps
If a stone is sealed after examination and kept under controlled custody, the matching does not have to be repeated at every handover. The documented chain shows that the stone has been under control since the last check.
In brief
Verification means checking the report with the laboratory through its official route and matching the stone against weight, dimensions, shape and photograph. Small discrepancies can be harmless; larger ones are a warning sign. An unbroken chain of custody makes checking easier.
At NOBILITH
On receipt, every stone is weighed, measured and matched against its report. The report number appears in the dossier so that you can verify the report directly with the laboratory at any time. Every handover is recorded in the chain of custody.
Sources
- GIA: Report Check
- SSEF and Gübelin: online verification of their reports
Read more
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- Laboratory reportsIdentificationIdentification is the first and most important statement in a report: which material is this? Why every word in it counts.Read more
Updated 2026-10-06
