EGL

The European Gemological Laboratory, Inc. (EGL) opened its first grading laboratory in Antwerp, Belgium in 1974 and subsequently opened laboratories in New York, Los Angles, Johannesburg, Paris, Istanbul, London, Israel and Seoul. The EGL introduced the SI3 clarity grade that really is just the high-end I1 quality. The EGL certifications include crown height percentage and pavilion depth percentage which are very helpful specifications in determining quality of cut.

In addition to diamond certifications, the EGL also issues a condensed report on a diamond known as a consultation. In this document, only the carat weight, color grade, clarity grade and a plotting diagram is recorded. The difference between the consultation and the certification is that it does not have depth percentage, table percentage, polish, symmetry or fluorescence grades.