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    The Diamond Grader

    4.8 (60 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

    By appointment only

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    Response time

    50 minutes

    Response rate

    100%

    Services - The Diamond Grader

    Personal property appraisal

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    Recommended Reviews - The Diamond Grader

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    Reviews With Photos

    This was my first experience dealing with heirloom jewelry and my wife and I didn't know what to expect. After researching appraisers in the area, The Diamond Grader kept appearing. We read a number of reviews and decided to make an appointment with Michael. We arrived at his business location and were invited inside. Michael gave us a brief tour of his facility and then we discussed my grand-fathers ring and what type of appraisal we needed. Then our education began. From start to finish Michael walked us through the entire process explaining in great detail how each item was to be examined, graded and finally evaluated. It was a very eye opening experience for my wife and I. He was extremely professional and highly knowledgeable. I never knew there was so much about fine jewelry. In the end we received our appraisal and he went above and beyond anything we might have expected. He even discovered a flaw in the casting of the ring and referred us to an excellent repair shop. My wife and I would highly recommend Michael for your appraisal needs.

    If you are reading this review to decide if Michael Hutton is worth checking into, you will absolutely experience the best service ever from a diamond grader. Michael worked with me to find the best stones for my budget. He is extremely meticulous in his work and research. He stays focused on his research and will report to you as often as there is an update, and also in between making sure your satisfaction is still there. I live in San Antonio and my husband and I were on a trip to Vegas. We checked out a couple of jewelers that boasted great prices and quality diamonds but were quickly disheartened with what we found. On our way to the airport to return home I googled diamond graders and up popped Michael. We established a relationship via phone/email. We returned to Vegas and met with him in person. 2 months later I had the most beautiful diamonds being shipped to me. The transaction was very smooth and fast forward, the diamonds are INCREDIBLY beautiful. Michael literally educated us on the diamonds - and if you're lucky to get him to work for you, you will LOVE his history. We met him at his home/office with plenty of security and visited with him for a couple of hours during which time we continued to be amazed at this knowledge and patience with our questions. He has some state of the art equipment and showed us some pretty cool stuff. Some of the words that best describe Michael are "professional, knowledgeable, friendly, diligent, compassionate, fair, jovial". Hope anyone reading this can check out Michael for themselves because you will quickly understand why he has a 5 star rating.

    John L.

    Best Bang for your Buck! Michael is a really down-to-earth, all around great guy! I bought in three pieces of diamond for him to check out, especially since I know nothing much about diamonds. He spent 3 hours, meticulously examining each and every one of the diamonds, and even taught me and my fiancé about our ring. At first, I thought our ring was overpriced and that I bought a fake one, but Michael showed me with all his tools that my ring was LEGIT, and I was a happy camper through and through. Overall, the 3 hours for $75 was more than a bargain. I learned so much and Michael was so passionate about his work that I couldn't help but indulge in his enthusiasm and had some fun myself. Anyways, I couldn't ask for a better person to check out my diamonds and I extremely satisfied with Michael's work. Really appreciate it buddy! No seriously, go to him for any diamond/jewelry needs guys! :)

    Chris A.

    UPDATE: the rude and unprofessional Michael rears his ugly head. The website he's provided does not provide 1-carat lab-grown diamonds for $800 as he states. It's says that they will in the future *eyeroll*. Maybe a gimmick by DeBeers to scare people into not buying lab grown diamonds and to try and keep their natural diamond prices as high as possible? Idk. What I DO KNOW is that every jeweler i went to offered to buy the wedding set from me for 3-4x Michael's stated retail value. I guess every jeweler that offered to buy the lab-grown diamond from me for $8,000+ is an idiot! YOU must be the only one that sees clearly, Michael. Would you like to provide a link to a website where we can actually in real life currently buy lab-grown diamonds at your stated price? For now I'll provide a picture of my appraisal that was done by someone who doesn't work out of the converted garage of their small home. I guess it's just a complete coincidence that a well-known and reputable master gemologist appraised the wedding set at a nearly identical value to the retail price that my friend quoted me. Seriously people, look at how this guy behaves. He works out of his converted garage for crying out loud! Do yourself a favor when getting your appraisal, go to a legitimate business. Not the garage of someone with a small handful of reviews on Yelp. It's a lot of money at stake. You'll sleep much more soundly.

    Wedding band that I got an appraisal on.

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    Great experience all the proper equipment all in one place. Located in central Vegas.

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    2 months ago

    Great experience! Michael was prompt to reply with a price quote and was very knowledgeable!

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    6 months ago

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    Michael H.

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    7 months ago

    Good guy, superb knowledge base, enjoyed meeting and working with him. Would highly recommend!

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    Michael H.

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    Ask the Community - The Diamond Grader

    Hi, I enjoyed reading the comments here. Is what you are saying that I should not purchase a lab grown diamond from a department store? Now I'm wondering whether I need an…

    Hello ... Glad you enjoyed the comments here. When I read through your complete statement, it looked like you have already purchased a Lab Grown diamond from a Department Store. All services at our Lab have been by appointment only for the last 14… Read more

    Will you appraise a ring without it leaving my sight?

    For the last 13 years, we appraise the client's jewelry right in front of them in real time. This is a Best Business Practice as it also eliminates unwarranted claims from clients.

    Do you happen to remove wedding bands that have been previously soldered together?

    I'm a Professional Gemologist/Appraiser with an onsite Gem Lab and not a Bench Jeweler. Let me refer you to two of my friends that are Bench Jewelers that can easily do the work you need done: Anka Jewel ask for Karo (702) 465-2580 at Twain &… Read more

    Do you buy loose diamonds?

    Hello ... It depends on the Clarity and Color of the goods. No I1 goods. No Lab Created goods. Send a good sharp photo of your stone taken on a white background with a 4 C's description and your asking price to our business email address:… Read more

    How much does he charge for appraisals? Is it per piece or can I pay the same and bring a few pieces?

    There are 2 categories of appraisals: 1. Verbal Evaluation; 2, Written USPAP Compliant Certified Appraisals. Verbal Evaluations Start at $35 and go up depending on complexity and size of the item. Written Certified Appraisals Start at $75 and go up… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - The Diamond Grader

    Michael is one of those guys that has an immense wealth of knowledge on all things science, super smart dude.

    Mentioned in 43 reviews

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    US Appraisal Pros - Call us to find out!

    US Appraisal Pros

    (2 reviews)

    Westside

    Nice guys emailed me back and forth. I didn't use their services but i can tell by the conversation…read morethat i would give them a shot. They seem easy going and nice about things. I am not in the market at the moment but when i am going to by a house i will look you guys back up. Thanks

    I recently had my home appraised with this company. I had done many permanent upgrades in my home…read moreand yard, such as 2 large covered patios with colored, stamped and sealed concrete; granite kitchen and island with full backsplash; fully landscaped front, back and side yard using 4-6 inch river rock and desert hardy plants and trees; attic with pulldown ladder for extra storage; stainless steel appliances; 18 inch porcelain tile and baseboards installed on the diagonal and slate throughout 80% of the home; Custom patented stain glass window; AC and heating replaced with superior Maytag 12 seer with 10/20 warranty; Andersen Permashield sliding glass doors; new 10 year smoke alarms with 10 year batteries; custom closets in the bedrooms, and much more! It was described as being well maintained with a ONLY a mention of granite!! The pictures they took did NOT in any way do the home and yard justice! A picture of an old smaller hot water heater with cloth straps and stickers all over it, which was NOT MINE ,was included in the appraisal! Mine was a top of the line Bradford White 50 gallon only a 18 months old with metal straps. I was disgusted and contacted them about all this and requested another appraisal which was denied. Two patios were not mentioned nor were they drawn in with a dotted line on the groundplan. The lender would not have been favorably impressed.... Every realtor that saw my home believed the appraisal would come in higher than the listed price! Two homes smaller than mine, with smaller yards on the same street and same block with nowhere near the upgrades as mine sold the day after mine for just $,6,000 less. Another smaller home with a half patio, again with far less done to it, sold a few doors away for $13,000 MORE just 4 days after my appraisal. MY ADVICE: Avoid this company like the plague, and find out who the borrower's lender is if you are selling , because the lender chooses the appraisal company! Think about that for a minute...

    The Diamond Grader - jewelry - Updated May 2026

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