Every stone we certify follows the same meticulous workflow — from secure receipt and unique-ID registration through full scientific analysis to the final, tamper-resistant report. This is how it works.
AGL operates a single standardised workflow across all three of our laboratories. Whether your stone is received in Beruwala, Antwerp, or Shanghai, the same chain-of-custody protocol, the same analytical instruments, and the same quality-assurance review apply. Every certificate we issue rests on documented evidence — never on opinion alone.
Stones arrive at our laboratory by hand or by insured courier. On receipt, each item is logged into our chain-of-custody system, photographed in its delivery packaging, weighed on a calibrated electronic balance, and assigned a unique internal tracking number. A written acknowledgement is sent to the client confirming receipt, weight, and the estimated date the report will be issued.
The stone undergoes classical gemological examination — refractive index, specific gravity, optical character, pleochroism, polariscope behaviour, fluorescence under long-wave and short-wave UV, and microscopic study of internal features. These observations are recorded on the worksheet and form the basis of the species and variety determination.
Where identification, treatment detection, or origin determination demand it, the stone is examined on our advanced instruments. Each spectrum and dataset is saved against the stone's tracking number, providing a permanent analytical record.
The lead gemologist compiles all observations and instrument data into a draft report. Every conclusion — species, variety, treatment status, origin (where determined), and grading descriptors — is cross-checked against the recorded evidence. A second senior gemologist independently reviews the draft before it is approved for issue.
The final report is printed on tamper-resistant security paper, sealed, and printed with a unique QR code that links to the online verification record. The stone is returned to the client by the same secure channel by which it was received. The certificate remains valid indefinitely and may be verified at any time on this website.
The diagnostic backbone of every AGL laboratory is a suite of complementary spectroscopic and analytical instruments. No single technique answers every question; what matters is the cross-confirmation that several lines of evidence can provide.
AGL's grading and reporting methodology is consistent with internationally recognised gemological standards. Diamond grading follows the 4 Cs framework universally accepted across the trade. Coloured-stone reporting follows the conventions of the Laboratory Manual Harmonisation Committee (LMHC) on treatment disclosure and the International Coloured Gemstone Association (ICA) on origin terminology.
Where evidence is insufficient to support a definitive conclusion — for example, origin determination on a stone whose trace-element signature overlaps multiple sources — our reports state that result plainly rather than offer speculation. This conservative posture is, in our view, what distinguishes a certificate worth relying upon.
All client information and stone particulars are held in strict confidence. Our laboratories are physically secured with twenty-four-hour monitoring, restricted access, and insured storage during the analytical period. Online verification reveals only the report particulars and gemstone photograph — never any information identifying the submitting client.
A certificate is only as valuable as the buyer's understanding of what it says.
— AGL Editorial