Introduction

By submitting any gemstone, diamond, jewellery, or related article to IIGJ Lab for testing, grading, screening, or certification services, the client agrees to comply with the following Terms & Conditions.

1. Testing reports are issued only upon the request of the client. By issuing a testing report, IIGJ Lab does not undertake any obligation to purchase, replace, or compensate for the gemstone, jewellery, or article submitted for examination.
2. Reports issued by IIGJ Lab are solely expert assessment reports and shall not be considered as certificates of valuation, guarantee, appraisal, or legal ownership documents.
3. All testing and grading reports issued by IIGJ Lab represent professional opinions based on available gemmological technology, scientific methods, and the expertise of the laboratory at the time of examination. No express or implied warranty is provided regarding future validity, marketability, commercial value, or suitability for any particular purpose.
4. Articles submitted for testing are accepted on the understanding that the depositor bears complete responsibility for insurance coverage and any risk of loss, theft, damage, fire, burglary, force majeure, or any unforeseen event during the period, the article remains in the custody of the laboratory. The depositor acknowledges that standard gemmological examination and handling procedures may involve inherent risks, particularly in articles containing fragile stones, inclusions, weak settings, or pre-existing damage.
5. IIGJ Lab does not provide any assurance regarding the commercial value, marketability, pricing, or origin of the tested gemstone or jewellery unless specifically mentioned in the report.
6. Reports downloaded, printed, or viewed online through the laboratory website are provided only for reference purposes and shall not be treated as original reports and authentic. IIGJ Lab shall not be responsible for forged, altered, edited, or unauthorized copies or reproductions of reports circulated outside its official systems, or for external cyber incidents or technical interruptions affecting online verification services.
7. Testing reports may be transferable; however, the laboratory’s obligations and liabilities remain limited to the original client recorded at the time of submission. No third party, including any purchaser, insurer, auction house, or financial institution, shall acquire independent rights or claims against IIGJ Lab based solely on reliance upon the report, unless expressly accepted in writing by IIGJ Lab.
8. IIGJ Lab reserves the right to withdraw, cancel, or declare void any previously issued report if circumstances so require. including where subsequent testing methods, technological developments, industry standards, or new information justify such withdrawal or revision
9. The client agrees to indemnify and hold harmless IIGJ Lab, its management, and employees from any claims, liabilities, legal proceedings, losses, damages, or expenses arising from the use of the report or related services.
10. Any dispute or objection relating to the testing report or services rendered must be communicated to the laboratory within 15 days from the date of issuance of the report. Claims raised thereafter may not be entertained.
11. The client authorizes IIGJ Lab to retain and use gemmological data, photographs, and analytical records obtained during testing for research, documentation, educational, or publication purposes without requiring prior approval from the client.

IIGJ Lab may disclose records where required by law, regulatory authorities, court orders, or investigative agencies.

12. Any dispute arising out of services rendered by IIGJ Lab shall be governed by the applicable laws of India, and the courts of Delhi shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

12A. Dispute Resolution

Any dispute arising out of or relating to the services of IIGJ Lab shall first be referred to arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The seat and venue of arbitration shall be Delhi. Proceedings shall be conducted by a sole arbitrator appointed by IIGJ Lab.

Limitation of Liability

13. Hallmarking or engraving details mentioned in the report are based on inscriptions observed on the jewellery/article and are not independently verified by the laboratory.
14. The liability of IIGJ Lab, under any circumstance, whether in contract, negligence, or otherwise, shall not exceed the testing fees actually paid for the relevant report or services.
15. Neither the laboratory nor any of its employees shall be held responsible for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damage related to the article submitted for testing.
16. The client agrees to indemnify the laboratory and its representatives against any claims, expenses, or liabilities arising in relation to testing and reporting services.
17. IIGJ Lab shall not be responsible for any business loss, financial liability, penalty, or reputational damage arising from reliance on the testing report.
18. The laboratory shall not be liable for errors, omissions, typographical mistakes, equipment limitations, technical failures, or human errors that may unintentionally occur during the testing process.
19. The laboratory is not liable for damage to fragile gemstones or articles having pre-existing inclusions, cracks, chips, weak settings, or structural weaknesses that may worsen during normal handling and examination.

Submission & Delivery

20. Acceptance of articles for testing is subject to laboratory discretion, instrument availability, and technical feasibility, and IIGJ Lab reserves the right to refuse, suspend, or discontinue testing services for any article without assigning reasons. Delivery timelines are estimated on a first-come, first-served basis and may vary depending on workload, technical limitations, or unforeseen circumstances.
21. Estimated completion dates are indicative only and are not legally binding on the laboratory.
22. The laboratory assumes the depositor submitting the article is the lawful owner or authorized representative of the goods. and IIGJ Lab shall not be responsible for verifying ownership, title, or authority over the article.

22 A. Force Majeure

IIGJ Lab shall not be liable for delay, interruption, loss, or inability to perform services due to acts of God, natural disasters, fire, flood, pandemic, government restrictions, labor disputes, equipment failure, cyber incidents, transportation disruption, or circumstances beyond reasonable control.

23. Reports and articles shall be delivered only to the person who has submitted the article unless a duly signed authorization letter is provided.
24. Testing services are generally provided against advance payment. The laboratory reserves the right to withhold reports or articles until full payment clearance is received.
25. Testing charges do not include courier, insurance, handling, or transportation charges unless otherwise specified. Dispatch of articles/reports through courier or transport agencies shall be entirely at the client’s risk, and the laboratory shall not be liable for loss, theft, delay, or damage in transit.
26. Articles and reports should be collected within 3 months from the date of issuance. IIGJ Lab reserves the right to levy storage and handling charges for articles not collected within the prescribed period.

The laboratory reserves the right to dispose of, auction, or recover storage costs in relation to unclaimed articles after expiry of such period, subject to applicable law.

Testing & Technical Scope

28. IIGJ Lab does not perform destructive testing without prior consent from the client.
29. The laboratory does not certify metal purity, metal weight, or hallmark authenticity unless specifically covered under the requested testing category.
30. Grading of mounted stones and diamonds is subject to limitations caused by mounting, setting style, and accessibility.
31. Report terminology, disclosures, and formats are standardized as per laboratory protocols and cannot be altered at the request of the client. All report formats, grading methodologies, images, logos, database records, and laboratory systems remain the exclusive intellectual property of IIGJ Lab and shall not be reproduced or commercially used without prior written consent.
32. All reports are prepared using scientific gemmological methods, instruments, and industry-accepted testing procedures available at the time of examination.
33. Reverification services may not be possible for certain categories such as packet lots, bead strings, mounted stones, or screening services.
34. Photographs appearing on reports are approximate representations and may differ from the actual article due to lighting, printing, camera, or display limitations.
35. The laboratory reserves the right to revise terminology, nomenclature, or disclosure standards based on evolving industry practices, scientific discoveries, or technological developments.
36. Reports include only those characteristics and observations identifiable through the testing methods adopted by the laboratory.
37. Laser inscriptions, if any, may not always be mentioned in the report unless specifically requested.

Technical Limitations

38. Reports reflect the condition and characteristics of the article only at the time of examination.
39. Gemstones and diamonds may undergo treatment, enhancement, recutting, or modification after testing, which may alter their characteristics over time.
40. Certain treatments may fade, deteriorate, or become undetectable over time, for which the laboratory cannot be held responsible.
41. Identification or disclosure regarding whether a gemstone is natural, synthetic, treated, enhanced, or lab-grown shall be limited to the scope of testing specifically requested by the client and technically feasible at the time of examination. Unless explicitly stated in the report, no conclusion or confirmation shall be inferred in this regard.
42. Testing results and grading opinions may reasonably differ from those of other laboratories due to differences in methods, instruments, or interpretation standards.
43. Natural properties and conditions of gemstones may change over time, and subsequent examinations may produce different observations.
44. Some gemstone treatments remain scientifically difficult or impossible to detect with current technology; therefore, complete detection cannot be guaranteed.
45. IIGJ Lab shall not be responsible for discrepancies arising from future technological advancements, alternative testing methods, or differing professional opinions.
46. Due to evolving gemmological technology and treatments, the laboratory cannot guarantee identification of every enhancement, instability, or laboratory-grown characteristic.
47. Any tampering, alteration, modification, or unauthorized change to the report or tested article renders the report invalid.
48. Future advancements in technology, expertise, or testing methods may result in variations in observations or conclusions compared to previously issued reports.

Cancellation Policy

49. Cancellation requests from the client are accepted only within 2 hours from submission and must be made in writing. Urgent category submissions are non-cancellable.
50. In cases where testing is cancelled by the laboratory, the article shall be returned and the testing fees is refunded within one month.
51. IIGJ Lab does not perform cleaning services on submitted articles. If testing cannot be completed due to dirt, contamination, or other external factors, the article may be returned along with the applicable refund of testing charges.

Submission of articles physically, electronically, through courier, online portal, or authorized representatives shall constitute acceptance of these Terms & Conditions, which shall be governed in the English language, and if any provision is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

The client agrees to indemnify IIGJ Lab against any liabilities, claims, losses, damages, or expenses arising due to violation of these terms and conditions.

IIGJ Lab reserves the right to amend, modify, or update these Terms & Conditions at any time without prior notice. Revised terms shall apply to future submissions made after the effective date of such revision.