The 2 most popular Gem Labs certifying clarity enhanced diamonds on Ebay are EGL(www.eglinternational.org)and IGL  Labs (igl-labs.com). The real question is what is the difference between these 2 Gem Labs, which one is better, and why are EGL certified diamonds always more expensive than IGL certified diamonds for the exact same important "4 c's" (carat, cut, color, clarity)?
We will help answer that question and guide you to spend your hard earned money safely and to receive the most bang for your buck.
1)EGL Labs was created in 1974, and has worldwide offices located in Israel, Belguim, South Africa, France, Great Britian, Hong Kong, India and South Korea. IGL labs on the other hand was opened within the past 10 years with one office located in Israel. Based on those qualifications alone, which Lab would you trust more for an honest independent appraisal?
2)When EGL certified diamonds are compared to GIA certified diamonds, the argument goes that GIA, the undisputed #1 reputable Gem Lab in the world, grades diamonds stricter, and therefore will always cost more for a stone that is graded with the same "4 c's" (carat, cut, color, clarity) as their EGL counterpart. Every Jeweler in the world will confirm this and you can go to any diamond store in the world and see this for yourself. A Certified GIA 1.00 ct round ideal cut diamond with G color and VS2 clarity will cost anywhere from 20-50% more than the exact same EGL certified 1 ct ideal cut diamond with G color and VS2. This is because the gradings of the GIA diamond is certified with much stricter guidelines, is accompanied by a more respected gem lab, therefore carries a much higher resell value over time. Well the same argument can be made when comparing certified clarity enhanced diamonds. Out of the top 4 worldwide gem labs in the world (GIA, EGL, HRD, AGS) only EGL worldwide gem lab ALSO certifies clarity enhanced diamonds. Therefore EGL clearly becomes the undisputed recognized worldwide certificate for all clarity enhanced diamonds, and all worldwide Jewelers are aware of this. This makes EGL have a greater resell value and more importantly an industry reputation as being stricter than IGL when grading the exact same diamond. Just like the GIA certified diamond is worth more than the exact same EGL Certified diamond, so too, an EGL certified clarity enhanced diamond is worth more than an IGL certified clarity enhanced diamond. This answers the important questions of why an EGL certified 1.00 ct ideal cut D color and VS2 clarity enhanced will cost more anywhere on the internet than the exact same IGL certified 1.00 ct ideal cut D color and Vs2 clarity enhanced. The EGL certified diamond is simply higher quality than the same IGL certified diamond.
3) The only C of the "4 c's" that is scientifically objective is the carat size (the weight of the diamond.) This will always be the same if getting an EGL or IGL certificate. But that is where the similarities end. The other characteristics are subjective, and therefore can easily vary. It is much more difficult to get the rare D colorless grade at EGL gem labs, than it is to get the same D colorless grade at IGL gem labs. It is much more difficult to get a VS1 clarity for a diamond that has been enhanced at EGL gem labs than it is to receive the VS1 clarity at IGL gem labs. And it is also much more difficult to receive a triple excellent, ideal cut grade at EGL gem lab than it is at IGL labs. The way IGL gem labs certifies the cuts and clarity of their diamonds is absurd. Take a look at the IGL certified diamonds available on ebay, and carefully look at the "CUT GRADE" of all the diamonds. 90% of the thousands of IGL certified diamonds on ebay are considered "IDEAL CUT". That is scientifically impossible to have that many natural diamonds fit under the "ideal cut" grading. This proves that IGL certificates cannot be fully trusted as independent and the diamonds themselves are clearly worth less than a comparable EGL certified diamond. Another new disturbing trend by IGL labs is their new leniency to certifying clarity enhanced diamonds as VVS2. Ten years ago, the highest clarity graded for CE diamonds was VS2. Recently most gem labs have allowed the HIGHEST quality clarity enhanced diamonds to receive VS1. However, VVS2 clarity was unheard of for Clarity enhanced diamonds, and was only used for natural clarity diamonds. Yet somehow there are many sellers offering IGL certified VVS2 clarity enhanced diamonds. This once again proves that IGL certificates cannot be fully trusted as independent and the diamonds themselves are clearly worth less than a comparable EGL certified diamond.

4)Lets use logic and common sense for this one. How does a new startup gem lab called IGL compete with EGL worldwide Gem lab, which has been doing business for almost 50 years? If IGL Lab fees are almost identical to EGL lab fees, how can they get enough wholesale diamond dealers to try their new out their new company and make a profit?? One way is speed of getting back certificates for diamonds, but EGL already has a 2-3 day turnaround, and even a rush service for an extra small fee. So the only other option is to give the diamond dealers something EGL Labs cant. Unfortunately for consumers purchasing IGL certified diamonds, that option means LENIENCY ON GRADINGS OF COLOR-CLARITY-CUT-APPRAISAL VALUE. Its simple, IGL can inflate the diamonds color, clarity, cut and appraisal value for their clients, which allows the wholesale diamond dealers to charge more money for a diamond that should be graded lower. If a diamond dealer gets an IGL certificate for a 1 carat round that is D color VS1 clarity enhanced, ideal cut he can charge an uneducated customer hundreds or even thousands more than if that same exact diamond included an EGL certificate that was 1 ct F color SI1 clarity enhanced and only good cut. This is the exact same proven theory made by all jewelers and all over the internet why a GIA diamond costs thousands more than the same diamond specs with an EGL certificate. When you buy an IGL certified diamond, the gradings are inflated and you are paying more money for a lesser quality diamond. When you purchase an EGL certified diamond, while they may not grade as strict as GIA would, you will at least have the peace of mind that the diamond is accurately graded, and NOT INFLUENCED BY A STARTUP GEM LAB NEEDING TO PROVIDE THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH GRADING THAT THEY WANT. For IGL to earn new clients, they will grade the diamonds how the diamond dealer wants it to be graded, and therefore it is not really fully independent!


We hope our guide helped educate you on the huge differences between EGL certified clarity enhanced diamonds and IGL certified clarity enhanced diamonds. The value of the EGL certificate worldwide as well as its resell value and reputation is much greater than any IGL certificate. If we dont have the diamond you are looking for, at least do yourself a favor and buy the #1 worldwide certificate.