Once you've bought a lab-grown diamond piece, two practical questions usually follow: how do I get it appraised, and should I insure it? Both are more straightforward than they sound, and this guide walks through exactly what each involves.
What Is a Diamond Appraisal, and Do You Need One?
An appraisal is an independent valuation of your jewellery's current worth, carried out by a certified gemologist or appraiser — distinct from your diamond's grading certificate (which describes the stone's characteristics, not its monetary value). You generally need an appraisal for two reasons: to set an accurate insurance coverage amount, or to establish value for resale, estate planning, or a legal matter such as divorce settlement.
For lab-grown diamonds specifically, make sure any appraiser you use is experienced in valuing lab-grown stones — an appraiser unfamiliar with lab-grown diamonds may default to mined-diamond pricing benchmarks, producing an inaccurate valuation in either direction.
What You Need Before Getting an Appraisal
Your IGI or GLI certificate is the starting point for any appraisal — it documents your diamond's exact cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight, which the appraiser uses as the technical basis for valuation. Every Inasha Diamonds piece ships with its original certificate for exactly this reason. Keep this certificate somewhere safe and separate from the jewellery itself, since it's also your primary proof of authenticity if the piece is ever lost, stolen, or needs to be verified.
Bring the physical piece, the certificate, and your purchase receipt (showing the price paid) to your appraisal appointment. Independent, certified gemological appraisers can typically be found through national gemological associations in your country, or through a jeweller who offers in-house certified appraisal services.
Insuring Lab-Grown Diamond Jewellery
Lab-grown diamond jewellery can be insured the same way mined diamond jewellery is — there is no special exclusion for lab-grown stones with legitimate insurers, provided the piece is properly documented. Two common paths:
Homeowner's or renter's insurance rider (also called a floater or endorsement): Many home insurance policies offer limited jewellery coverage by default, often with a low per-item cap. A rider extends coverage to the item's full appraised value and typically covers a broader range of risks, including accidental loss, not just theft.
Specialised jewellery insurance: Dedicated jewellery insurers offer standalone policies that don't require bundling with a broader home policy, often with worldwide coverage and simpler claims processes specifically designed for jewellery.
Either way, insurers will generally require the appraisal documentation described above before issuing a policy, and will use the appraised value — not your original purchase price — to set your coverage amount and premium.
How Often to Update Your Appraisal
Jewellery appraisals are generally recommended for re-evaluation every 2-3 years, since market values shift over time. This matters more for mined diamonds, whose resale and replacement values can move significantly; lab-grown diamond values have historically trended downward as production has scaled, which is worth keeping in mind when setting or renewing coverage amounts.
What Inasha Diamonds Provides
Every Inasha Diamonds piece ships with its original IGI or GLI certificate and a commercial invoice showing the price paid — the two documents you'll need to start the appraisal and insurance process described above. If you need a duplicate invoice or certificate reference for insurance purposes, contact help@inashadiamonds.com with your order details.