How Gemstones Are Verified and Valued

Verification answers “what is this stone?” Valuation answers “what would a willing buyer pay today?” They are separate jobs.

Verification

A gemmological laboratory tests species, treatments and, in some reports, origin. Names you will see on fine stones include SSEF, Gübelin, GIA, GRS and IGI. A report is an opinion of that lab on that date. See independent verification.

Valuation

Appraisers use recent sales of similar weight, origin, colour and treatment. Two honest appraisals can differ. A token price, if one is published later, can differ again because of fees, lock-ups and how few buyers exist.

What GemReserve should show you

• The lab and the report number on the passport.
• Treatment disclosure in plain language.
• Whether a figure is an appraisal, an asking price or an old invoice.

Related: tokenized gemstones and gemstone assets.