More and more as technology gets more refined, many simulants come and go in the marketplace. Synthetic Rubies that up to a few years ago could be easily spotted with the aid of a few simple tools,  and a short course from the GIA now can not. Having a fully equipped lab with the  highly trained Graduate Gemologists is really the only way you can be sure. More and more you see small "labs" pop up offering cut rate certifications, and appraisals. They usually turn out to be garbage, but they issue a fine looking certificate that turns out to have no value a year later. Here's some simple traps to avaoid when certifying or appraising  a stone or piece of jewelry.

If you wish to have your stone or jewelry appraised, be careful to find a qualified independent appraiser, one who is not affiliated with any jewelry seller. You may be surprised to know that there are no laws governing who can appraise jewelry.

An honest and accurate appraisal of your stone should be an independent one. Don't be afraid to ask.

Take a look at the following certificates and ask yourself, would you really believe anything thats on these things, the two with appraisals are particularly interesting, as the values stated are at least 10-20  times the value of the merchandise. It seems to be a cottage industry these days , it's  interesting when you look up labs like these on the internet you page after page of compaints over deceptive practices. So this way saying you bought one of these items, you would pay probably $300/year in additional homeowners premiums to insure a diffusion blue star sapphire ring, with an appraised value of $2800  (with an actual retail value of about $150-$200),and realistically it will never be stolen, because even a thief will recognize it as not worth taking.

       
WARNING:
There are no laws in most states regulating who can appraise jewelry. Anyone can "hang out a shingle" and call himself an appraiser. Don't be afraid to ask about the appraiser's credentials and affiliations. A qualified appraiser should be a G.I.A. Graduate Gemologist, and also have a current affiliation with one or more of the three most vigilant national appraisal societies (ISA, ASA and/or NAJA).

1. No One Who Sells Jewelry Can Fairly Appraise The Jewelry Sold By A Competitor.

2. Very few Gem Labs have Worldwide Credibility, a few that are universally recognized are :

American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), Gemological Institute of America (GIA), European Gem Lab (EGL), Swiss Gemological Institute (SSEF), Gemological Institute of India (GII), Gübelin Gem Lab, Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain, Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand , and the Central Gem Laboratory of Japan.

3. A lot of confusion surrounding certifications is generated because some sellers certify or appraise their own material. An honest and accurate certification or appraisal of your stone should always be independent to prevent any conflict of interest. In many instances you can find "GIA" graduates and other people who put "their" stamp of approval on a gemstone. Buyer Beware!! Although these individuals have passed a "GIA" course and have a certificate hanging on the wall, it does not have the same stature in the gemstone industry. The only authorities in gemstone certification are the ones mentioned earlier. Please do no confuse a "GIA" graduate with the GIA (Gemological Institute of America).
 
Members of the AGTA are actually prohibited from appraising or certifying their own material, for the obvious conflict of interests that could arise. I've always thought of the analogy of  consumer reports. Would you trust a report from consumer reports on say buying a refrigerator, or would you feel confident in the report issued by the manufacturer GE?