Is a Certificated stone always best?
Basically no, it isn’t, because it very much depends on who issued the ‘certificate’ in the first place as not all are equal or even close in fact! Some so called ‘certificates’ are not worth the fancy paper they are written on. Some are known and generally trustworthy (e.g. the G.I.A.) and some I will literally throw away (I’m not naming names because I don’t want to be sued ! 🙂 The basic reason for this is that the Clarity of a Gemstone is always a matter of opinion and interpretation, not of science, and a grade or two’s difference can make a large difference to the value. The exact Colour grade can also end up being disputed by some, so on the back of or with just about every Diamond certificate including the good ones you will usually find a long winded disclaimer as to its accuracy.
