Despite the complexity of the colored gem market there is no international set standard for grading color. Unlike diamonds, that have a clear grading list that is accepted world-wide and can give you a credible account of your diamonds exact grade, reports on colored gems vary widely and are therefore far more limited in description. Even so, with the technological advances today, allowing new, innovative treatments for all kinds of gems and the fabrication of gems, this testing is still very important. Today's market is so flooded with low-rate materials, that it would be foolish to invest in an expensive gem without testing it first in one the credited labs [GIA, AGL, AGTA, SSEF, etc']. At the very least, a formal report will verify the authenticity of the gem, and a rating of its color-grade, its clarity and distribution, its brilliance and a professional description of the gem for future identification needs.