Hi Mogwailover, welcome!
It's not difficult to get a GIA cert, but it's a bit of a palaver if the stones are set, since you will need to un-set them to send them to GIA and re-set them later.
You send the gems loose to GIA, you pay about $250 (not sure how much they charge if it's more than one stone), and wait for a few weeks, then get the stones back with their certificate. If you disagree, you can submit them back to GIA for a reassessment: if they confirm their judgement, you pay half the fee again; if they decide you were right, the re-cert is free.
For more info on GIA and the grading process, take a look
here.
The risk is of course that in the un-setting and re-setting of the stones something goes wrong. I believe prong settings like the one in the ear studs you mention are relatively easy to re-set, and the chances of something going wrong with either the stone or the setting are minimal.
All in all, I'm not sure it's worth it. For a number of reasons: 1. You have a money back guarantee - a week is plenty of time to get a second opinion and return the item if you're unhappy; 2. You have a trade-up policy valid for an unlimited period; 3. DBL has a great reputation and David is extremely honest and tough with his grading.
I am a recent customer, and the fact that David is ready to take so many pictures and point out flaws convinced me to order not one, but two custom-made rings (see pictures on the "Show off your jewels" topic -
here), mostly uncertified. To say that I and my wife are happy with the work is a slight understatement. I only wish the bank balance wasn't so depleted, so I could get a couple more pieces.
colored diamonds
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