If you're a fan of Moissanite or have bought from Etsy, Ebay and Amazon, I'm sure you've heard, seen or own a GRA "certified" Moissanite.
So what is a GRA "certified" Moissanite? Is it the same as the certificate you get with any other gemstones? The short answer is NO, not at all.
Certified gemstones are sent to independent gemstone laboratories to be inspected and graded. A gemologist examines the weight, color, clarity and over all quality of the gemstone using state of the art equipment before it is graded based on the industry's standards and all the information they gather is reflected on the certificate that is issued after the process of inspection is completed. Most consumers prefer certified gemstones, especially in diamonds because they are not buying blindly and they are assured of the quality of the gemstone they are purchasing.
GRA certified Moissanites on the other hand are not inspected. As a matter of fact, GRA is not a gemstone laboratory. There is no GRA facility that inspects any of the Moissanite that comes with this certificate. GRA certificates are pre-printed and usually sent with authenticity cards that trading companies in Alibaba purchase complete with control numbers. These numbers are occassionally laser etched on the Moissanite's girdle, but most commonly printed on a small sticker and attached to the reclosable bag where the stone is packaged. The control numbers are in a database and will be recognized in one of GRA's websites when you check it. Yes, websites. There are several versions of GRA websites and the web link where the control number you received is registered will be provided to you by the company you purchased the Moissanite from. This control number will not be recognized in any other GRA websites as there are several printing companies that provide these certificates and each have their own GRA website and one is not connected to the other.
So are Moissanites with GRA certificates fake? No, the Moissanite is not necessarily fake. The stone you bought may be real Moissanite, but the information on the certificate are most definitely false. If you bought a GRA Moissanite and would like to get it graded and certified, you may want to send your stone to reputable gemstone laboratories. While GIA does not assign clarity grade on Moissanite, they can still issue a grading report based on its other characteristics such as color, carat weight and cut. PGGL, a laboratory based in Philadelphia, is the company we use to grade our stones and one of the pioneer gem laboratory that inspects and grades Moissanites. AGS and IGI are two other laboratories you can use.