Diamond Identity Verification (DIV)

For decades, international gemological laboratories such as the Gemological Institute of America have built globally recognized standards for assessing a diamond's characteristics. These reports accurately reflect a diamond's technical attributes at the time of grading and are an important basis for international commerce.

But as cutting technology, synthetic-diamond production, and ever more sophisticated forms of fraud advance, a new professional need has emerged in the market:

How do you confirm that the diamond in your hand is the very diamond described on its international certificate?

That is the professional gap which SJC Chợ Lớn Gold, Silver & Gems JSC has built and developed into the Diamond Identity Verification (DIV) service.

A new professional concept

DIV is an independent verification service built to confirm the consistency between:

• the physical diamond;
• and the identifying record shown on its international grading certificate.

In other words, DIV does not re-grade a diamond's quality; it focuses on answering a question that is decisive in a transaction:

This is a professional goal entirely different from traditional quality grading. If an international certificate answers the question “what is this diamond's quality?”, DIV answers “is the diamond in front of us the one that was certified?”. The two are not substitutes but complements, forming a comprehensive control process for diamond transactions.

The scientific basis of DIV

In gemological science, no two diamonds are exactly alike. Each diamond forms under different geological conditions, producing a unique combination of features in:

• crystal structure;
• inclusion characteristics;
• growth features;
• geometric proportions;
• optical behavior;
• fluorescence signatures;
• microscopic features on the surface and inside the stone.

Together these features form the diamond's “physical identity.” DIV is the process of verifying that physical identity scientifically, by reconciling many sets of technical data at once rather than relying on just one or two isolated factors.

Why does an international certificate still need DIV?

An international certificate can be perfectly accurate. In practice, however, what needs to be confirmed is whether that certificate is accompanying the right diamond.

If the diamond has been substituted, swapped, or matched to the wrong certificate, then:

• the certificate is still genuine;
• the information on it is still correct;
• but the object being traded is no longer the diamond that was certified.

The risk, then, lies not in the certificate but in the match between the certificate and the actual diamond. That is precisely DIV's professional scope.

What DIV verifies

SJC Chợ Lớn's DIV process is built on the principle of evaluating many layers of identifying information together, including:

• verifying geometric specifications;
• verifying weight and measurements;
• verifying cut characteristics;
• verifying girdle features;
• verifying the laser inscription (if any);
• verifying the natural inclusion plot;
• verifying micro-structural features;
• verifying optical and phosphorescence behavior;
• verifying the markers that distinguish natural from synthetic diamonds;
• reconciling all the data against the certificate's record.

This process combines the gemologist's professional experience with a system of dedicated analytical instruments to reach an independent conclusion on the match between the diamond and its certificate.

DIV is not just reading the laser number

A common belief is that simply reading the right laser number on the girdle is enough to identify a diamond. In reality, the laser number is only a supporting identifier.

With today's technology, an inscription can be polished off, re-engraved, or faked. Verification based on the laser number alone therefore cannot replace a comprehensive identification process. DIV treats the laser number as one of many data points to be reconciled, combining it with morphological, optical, and micro-structural features to reach a scientifically grounded conclusion.

Value for consumers and the market

The DIV service helps to:

• increase safety in high-value diamond transactions;
• help detect the risk of substitution or swapping;
• strengthen trust between buyer and seller;
• support diamond businesses in controlling transaction quality;
• create a further professional basis for insurance, custody, collateral, or dispute resolution.

For Vietnamese consumers, DIV serves as a last professional line of defense, reducing risk when trading high-value diamonds.

SJC Chợ Lớn's vision

With a foundation of many years in gemological appraisal, experienced gemologists, and a system of dedicated instruments, SJC Chợ Lớn Gold, Silver & Gems JSC aims to develop Diamond Identity Verification (DIV) into an independent professional service that helps complete the value chain of appraisal in Vietnam.

DIV's goal is not to replace international certificates, but to add an independent layer of verification focused on the identity match between a diamond and its accompanying certificate.

Professional definition

Diamond Identity Verification (DIV) by SJC Chợ Lớn Gold, Silver & Gems JSC is an independent process applying morphological analysis, physical measurement, micro-structural observation, optical identification, and data reconciliation to confirm that the diamond under examination is the one corresponding to its grading certificate, while detecting any sign of substitution, swapping, forgery, or identity discrepancy during a transaction.

Certification confirms quality — DIV verifies identity.

A certificate is only truly valuable when it accompanies the right diamond.