Trust in the gem trade isn't claimed — it's documented. This page sets out exactly what documentation comes with our stones, which laboratories we work with, and our standing policy on treatment disclosure.
Every stone in our inventory carries an explicit, stated treatment status — visible in the stocklist before you enquire, stated on your invoice, and warranted in writing. The three statuses we use:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| None | No treatment of any kind. We are confident, from sourcing history and examination, that the stone is unheated. Laboratory verification available before purchase. |
| Heat Only | Traditional thermal treatment only — the industry-standard, lab-accepted enhancement. No diffusion, no filling, no irradiation. |
| Unknown | The stone's treatment history cannot be established with confidence. We say so rather than guess in our own favour. Priced accordingly. |
What we do not stock: we trade only natural, earth-mined sapphires — never synthetic or lab-grown — and never beryllium-diffused, glass-filled, irradiated, or coated corundum. If laboratory testing ever finds a synthetic stone, or an invasive treatment in a stone we sold as untreated or heat-only, we refund in full — no time limit, no conditions.
Certified stones in our inventory carry reports from internationally recognised laboratories. For uncertified stones, we arrange testing on request — and for significant purchases, we recommend it as standard practice.
| Laboratory | Best known for |
|---|---|
| GIA | The most widely recognised report worldwide. Identification, treatment, and origin opinion. The default choice when your end client is in the US. |
| Gübelin | The benchmark for high-value stones. Origin determination carries exceptional weight at auction and in the European trade. |
| SSEF | Swiss Gemmological Institute. Alongside Gübelin, the standard for important unheated stones and origin work. |
| GRS | Strong recognition in Asian markets. Known for colour-type nomenclature ("royal blue", "padparadscha") that aids resale across Asia. |
| AGL | American Gemological Laboratories. Highly respected for coloured stone treatment analysis and detailed enhancement grading. |
Which lab should you choose? It depends on where your client is and what the stone is. For a fine unheated blue above 3ct destined for Europe, Gübelin or SSEF. For the US market, GIA. For a padparadscha, GRS or AGL nomenclature can materially affect resale. We're happy to advise on the right report for a specific stone and market — it's a conversation we have with buyers weekly.
For any stone of consequence, we offer certification-contingent purchase: you select the stone and the laboratory, we submit it, and the sale completes only if the report confirms the agreed parameters — typically treatment status, and origin where relevant. If the lab disagrees with our description, you walk away or renegotiate. Testing costs are agreed per case.
We offer this because we can. A supplier confident in its sourcing has nothing to lose from independent verification — and a buyer who has verified once tends not to need convincing twice.
Every stone in our stocklist is captured at our StoneViewer studios: full 360° interactive daylight imaging, with downloadable frame sets and video. The capture standard is consistent across all stones — same lighting geometry, same white balance — so when you compare two stones in the stocklist, you are comparing the stones, not the photography.
This matters more than it sounds. Gem photography is where most online inventory quietly lies: saturation pushed, windows hidden, zoning angled away. Our imaging shows the stone rotating through every angle in standardised daylight. Zoning, windows, silk, and inclusions are visible before you enquire — which means fewer surprises, fewer returns, and faster decisions on both sides.
For your own marketing: buyers receive the full-resolution 360° image set and video for stones they purchase — ready to use in your own client presentations and listings.