Now stop right there and give this interaction some thought. There's certainly nothing illegal about it, nothing obviously wrong. But does it leave you with the feeling that, perhaps, the paperwork has been used to lead this man down a road he wouldn't otherwise have taken? Does it suggest that certificates, reports and other pieces of paper have become so instrumental to the sales process that those who don't offer them are quickly going to romance themselves straight out of the business?

"Jewelry is such a blind product; [paperwork] gives customers a sense of confidence in their purchases," said Zale Corp. spokesman David Sternblitz, voicing an industry-wide axiom. "We've seen that area grow over the past several years. We started certifying the large diamonds four to five years ago, but within the last two years, some of the smaller midsized pieces have been getting certs, even more of the fashion items."

Industry experts say consumer demand for diamond grading reports has changed the jewelry sales process. Meanwhile, a growing number of industry observers are questioning the extent to which paperwork is being used expressly as a merchandising tool.

"I am in favor of more customer knowledge, but in an industry which rivals the used car industry for 'pricing roulette,' I think certs only add to the confusion at this point," said industry analyst Ken Gassman, who thinks that the medley of certifications now in place at many retail jewelers has helped turn diamonds into commodities. "Customers can go up and down the mall, trying to get the best price on a half-carat princess-cut J VS1 stone (or whatever the specs are). ... Because of some of the grading differences (and especially the 'retail price' differences), jewelers may have just confused the buying process even more with certs."

Regardless, major retailers like Zales, one of Zale Corp.'s seven divisions, recognize that today's typical diamond customer has come to expect a certain degree of product knowledge. To satisfy that craving, the branded "Zales diamond" comes complete with a quality certificate from the International Gemmological Institute (IGI), a light performance analysis from GemEx Systems and a Gemprint registration that contains the diamond's unique optical signature, all of which are bundled up in a credit card-style packet and used to boost the buyer's confidence beyond any reasonable doubt.

"It does add cost to the overall process and I think that does have to be weighed," said Sternblitz, explaining that given the company's reputation, not all of its diamonds come with official lab grading reports. "But the salespeople do think of it as an additional tool to close the sale."

With all the majors now offering their customers similar paperwork, the pressure is on to join them. But which pieces of the puzzle do you need to compete?

Independently certified appraisals are becoming a common customer service perk because they take at least one big step out of the diamond-buying process for a time-starved consumer. They can also make a dramatic statement about perceived value. For example, Costco, the membership warehouse club, offers a 1.29-carat emerald-cut H VVS2 diamond ring on its Web site that retails for $5,899.99. Not only does it come with a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grading report, it also bears a "Summation of Appraisal" certificate from IGI that places its value at $12,835.

Yet it is this very innovation—diamond grading reports that come with valuations, like those IGI and EGL offer through their affiliated appraisal services—that has some in the industry talking of an unholy alliance between mass retailers and appraisal labs in which labs bow to pressure put on them by their best and biggest retail clients to overestimate value. The report then becomes a feel-good appraisal used to induce a sale.

GIA, the industry's premier grading facility, draws the line at putting valuations on its diamond reports to keep itself above the fray.

"Valuation has never been a consideration," said GIA President William Boyajian. " For us to put value on a diamond, that puts us outside the lab realm."

But IGI's president, Jerry Ehrenwald, says that demand for appraisal reports is growing tremendously. He insists that safeguards in place at the labs make any sort of collusion impossible, and that the only pressure his biggest clients put on him is to be as strict and accurate with his grading as possible.

"Our gemologists are not aware whose goods are being graded," he said. "It's just the opposite: These companies are coming to us and saying, you are our quality control. Retailers want us to scrutinize the goods to verify their vendors' diligence."

"Valuations are put through the computer system," Ehrenwald continued. "After 27 years, we have some sophisticated software. Our appraisals are modified constantly. But there's always a line of demarcation between the clients and us."

In the future, Boyajian theorizes that consumers could access that same software on the Internet, and that a cottage industry of online appraisal specialists would flourish from information gathered by GIA scientists.

"My gut: I think groups will begin appraising off GIA reports," he said. "In five years, a consumer could buy a diamond grading report, plug in the specs online and get an answer for a valuation."