Diamond Education

When you start shopping for a diamond, whether it's for an engagement ring, a special gift, or a personal investment, you quickly encounter two names that appear on almost every stone's paperwork: GIA and IGI. Both are grading laboratories. Both issue certificates. Both use the 4Cs system. And yet buyers across the United States spend hours debating which one to trust, which one is "better," and whether an IGI diamond is somehow inferior to a GIA diamond or vice versa. The answer is more nuanced than most jewelers will tell you. And getting it wrong can cost you thousands of dollars, or cause you to pass up a genuinely spectacular stone because of a logo on a piece of paper. This is the complete, honest, expert guide to GIA vs. IGI diamond certification, written for real buyers, not industry insiders. First: Why Diamond Certification Exists at All Before comparing the two labs, it's worth understanding what a diamond certificate actually is, and what it is not. A diamond grading report (commonly called a certificate) is an independent, third-party evaluation of a diamond's physical characteristics. It is not a guarantee of beauty. It is not a price tag. It is not an appraisal. It is a documented snapshot of a stone's measurable properties at the time of grading, assessed by trained gemologists under controlled laboratory conditions. The certificate tells you: Carat weight — the physical mass of the stone Cut grade — how well the diamond's facets interact with light (for round brilliants) Color grade — how colorless or tinted the diamond appears on the D-to-Z scale Clarity grade — the presence, size, position, and nature of inclusions and blemishes Measurements — the precise dimensions of the stone Fluorescence — whether the diamond emits light under UV exposure Additional characteristics — polish, symmetry, depth and table percentages, culet size What the certificate cannot tell you is how beautiful the diamond actually looks to the human eye under real-world lighting. That critical piece — the one that actually determines whether you fall in love with a stone — requires seeing the diamond itself. Which is exactly why 360° video technology at Picasso Gold & Diamond exists. More on that shortly. What Is GIA? The Gold Standard Explained The Gemological Institute of America was founded in 1931 by Robert M. Shipley in Los Angeles, California. It is a nonprofit organization, a fact that matters more than most buyers realize, GIA has no financial interest in selling you a diamond. Their revenue comes from grading fees, education, and research, not from making diamonds look better than they are. GIA is the laboratory that literally invented the modern 4Cs grading system in the 1940s and 1950s. Before GIA standardized the language of diamond grading, the industry was a chaos of inconsistent terminology where "blue white" and "finest water" meant different things to different dealers. GIA created the universal language the entire global diamond industry now speaks. What GIA is known for: The strictest, most consistent grading standards in the industry Conservative color and clarity grades that rarely, if ever, favor the seller Universal recognition by dealers, appraisers, insurers, and resellers worldwide The most trusted secondary market value, meaning a GIA-certified stone is easier to resell, trade, or insure at a reliable valuation Grading of both natural and lab-grown diamonds (though their lab-grown volume is smaller than IGI's) GIA's reputation in one sentence: When a dealer says a diamond is GIA Excellent/G/VS1, that grade means the same thing in Chicago, New York, Hong Kong, and Geneva. There is no ambiguity.   What Is IGI? The Full Story Most Jewelers Skip The International Gemological Institute was founded in 1975 in Antwerp, Belgium. One of the world's historic diamond trading capitals. Over the past five decades, IGI has grown into one of the largest independent gemological laboratories on the planet, with offices in the United States, India, Belgium, Hong Kong, Japan, Israel, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and beyond. IGI is a for-profit organization, and it processes dramatically higher volume than GIA grading millions of stones annually. This scale has made IGI the dominant certification lab in two major categories: mid-market natural diamonds and, most significantly, lab-grown diamonds. What IGI is known for: The global standard for lab-grown diamond certification Broad availability across all price points and stone categories Faster turnaround times than GIA, which gives it wider representation in dealer inventories Full 4Cs grading using the same criteria and scale as GIA Strong and growing acceptance across major U.S. and international retailers Legitimate, respected, and legally recognized certification worldwide IGI's reputation in one sentence: IGI is a real, credible, internationally recognized grading laboratory, particularly dominant in the lab-grown diamond space that grades more generously than GIA on natural diamonds, a difference buyers must understand before comparing prices. The Critical Difference: Grading Strictness on Natural Diamonds Here is the honest truth that many jewelers either don't know or choose not to explain clearly, and it is the most important thing you will read in this entire guide. On natural diamonds, IGI grades approximately one grade more generously than GIA on average for both color and clarity. This is not a secret. It is not a scandal. It is simply a documented, observable, industry-acknowledged reality that results from the inherent subjectivity in diamond grading. Diamond color and clarity assessment is not a mathematical formula — it involves trained human eyes making judgment calls within defined grade ranges. GIA's judges apply those standards more conservatively than IGI's. Over millions of stones, this creates a measurable, consistent grade differential. What does this mean in practice? A diamond that IGI grades as G color might receive an H color grade from GIA. A diamond that IGI grades as VS1 clarity might receive a VS2 or even SI1 grade from GIA. This difference directly affects price. Because GIA grades are considered the stricter benchmark, GIA-certified stones of a given grade command higher prices than IGI-certified stones of the same stated grade. A GIA G/VS1 round brilliant will typically be priced meaningfully higher than an IGI G/VS1 of identical carat weight — because the market has priced in the expectation that the IGI stone may not achieve that grade under GIA's standards. This creates both a risk and an opportunity for buyers: The risk: If you compare an IGI G/VS1 to a GIA G/VS1 expecting identical quality, you may be disappointed. The IGI stone may be performing closer to GIA's H/VS2. The opportunity: If you shop IGI-certified natural diamonds with informed eyes, using 360° video to evaluate the actual stone rather than relying solely on the grade, you can find genuinely beautiful diamonds at meaningfully lower prices, because the market has discounted them relative to GIA equivalents. This is exactly the edge that educated buyers at Picasso Gold & Diamond exploit every day. GIA vs. IGI for Lab-Grown Diamonds: A Completely Different Story When it comes to lab-grown diamonds, the competitive dynamic between GIA and IGI shifts dramatically, and this distinction is crucial for modern buyers. IGI is the industry standard for lab-grown diamond certification. Full stop. Here's why: When the lab-grown diamond market began scaling rapidly in the 2010s, IGI was one of the first major labs to embrace and develop robust grading standards for these stones. They built deep expertise, high volume, and broad dealer relationships in the lab-grown space years before GIA made lab-grown certification a priority. Today, the vast majority of lab-grown diamonds sold in the United States and globally carry IGI certificates. When you shop lab-grown diamonds at any major retailer, online or in-store. IGI certification is what you will predominantly encounter. GIA has entered the lab-grown certification space and their grades are respected, but IGI remains the volume leader and the broadly accepted standard. For a buyer shopping lab-grown diamonds with an IGI certificate, the grading generosity concern that exists for natural diamonds is far less significant. The price of lab-grown diamonds is driven primarily by the physical characteristics of the stone and market supply-demand dynamics, not by the premium that GIA branding commands in the natural diamond market. Bottom line on lab-grown: Shop IGI-certified lab-grown diamonds with full confidence. You are working with the most established, most widely accepted certification standard in that category. The 360° video still matters. Use it to evaluate brilliance and inclusions, but the IGI certificate on a lab-grown stone carries genuine and appropriate weight. The Grade Equivalency Guide: How to Translate IGI to GIA When shopping IGI-certified natural diamonds, use this practical translation guide as a starting assumption. Note that individual stones vary,  this is a general market observation, not a guaranteed formula: IGI Grade Approximate GIA Equivalent D (Colorless) D–E E (Colorless) E–F F (Colorless) F–G G (Near Colorless) G–H H (Near Colorless) H–I VVS1 Clarity VVS1–VVS2 VVS2 Clarity VVS2–VS1 VS1 Clarity VS1–VS2 VS2 Clarity VS2–SI1 SI1 Clarity SI1–SI2   Important: This is a buyer's guideline, not a gemological guarantee. Some IGI grades align perfectly with GIA. Others differ by more than one grade. The only way to know with certainty how a specific IGI stone would grade at GIA is to resubmit it, which most buyers have no reason to do. The smarter approach: price the diamond as if it's one grade lower in color and clarity than the IGI certificate states, evaluate it visually through 360° video for its actual appearance, and if it looks beautiful to your eyes at that adjusted price point,  you've found a value. Does IGI Certification Hurt Resale Value? This is a legitimate question, and deserves a direct answer. For natural diamonds, yes, GIA-certified stones generally command stronger resale prices in the secondary market. When a buyer, dealer, or estate jeweler evaluates a diamond for repurchase, GIA certification gives them higher confidence in the grade accuracy, and they price accordingly. If long-term resale value is a priority for your natural diamond purchase, GIA certification offers a measurable advantage. For lab-grown diamonds, resale value is a different conversation entirely. Lab-grown diamonds as a category have experienced significant price depreciation over the past several years as production scaled and supply increased dramatically. Whether your lab-grown stone has a GIA or IGI certificate will have minimal impact on its secondary market value, the category itself is the primary resale variable. If resale value is your concern, natural diamonds remain the stronger long-term investment regardless of certification lab. How Picasso Gold & Diamond's 360° Video Eliminates Certification Uncertainty Here's where everything comes together into a practical advantage for you as a buyer. The fundamental limitation of any diamond certificate GIA, IGI, or otherwise is that it grades a diamond in isolation under laboratory conditions and records the result as a letter grade on a scale. It cannot tell you whether that stone will take your breath away when you see it in person. Two diamonds with identical certificates can look completely different in real life. The 360° diamond video technology at Picasso Gold & Diamond's diamond page bridges this gap in a way no certificate can. When you watch a diamond rotate in high-resolution video under professional lighting from every angle, you see: The certificate tells you the clarity grade. The video shows you whether inclusions are actually visible to the eye, where they sit, and whether they affect the stone's face-up appearance in any meaningful way. The certificate tells you the color grade. The video shows you whether the stone faces up bright white, slightly warm, or clearly tinted and how that characteristic interacts with the specific crystal structure of that individual diamond. The certificate tells you the cut is Excellent. The video shows you whether the stone's light performance is extraordinary, average, or disappointing, because two Excellent-graded stones can perform very differently depending on their precise proportions. This matters enormously when you're shopping IGI-certified natural diamonds. The 360° video lets you evaluate the stone's actual quality, independently of the lab grade and make a purchasing decision based on what you see, not what you're told. If a VS2 IGI stone looks completely eye-clean in the video, that's more valuable to you than a VS1 certificate you can't confirm visually. If a G-color IGI stone faces up bright white and brilliant in the video, you're getting what you're paying for regardless of what GIA might grade it. This is the democratization of diamond expertise. You no longer need to be a trained gemologist or take a salesperson's word on faith. The video puts the evaluation power in your hands.   Practical Guide: When to Prioritize GIA vs. IGI Choose GIA-certified when: You are buying a natural diamond as a long-term investment or with resale value in mind You want the highest certainty that the stated grade is conservative and unlikely to be challenged You are buying a high-value stone (above $15,000–$20,000) where the grade premium justifies GIA's pricing You are purchasing from a dealer where you cannot see the stone in 360° video and must rely heavily on the certificate Shop IGI-certified confidently when: You are buying any lab-grown diamond, IGI is the category standard You have access to 360° video and can evaluate the stone's actual appearance independently of the grade You are working with a trusted jeweler like Picasso Gold & Diamond whose team can provide transparent, honest assessment of how any IGI natural diamond would likely compare under GIA grading You want maximum value for your budget, a beautiful IGI VS1 natural diamond at a VS2 price point, confirmed eye-clean by video, is an exceptional buy. Browse GIA and IGI Certified Diamonds at Picasso Gold & Diamond Jewelry in Chicago Whether you're looking for a GIA-certified natural diamond for a once-in-a-lifetime engagement ring, or an IGI-certified lab-grown diamond that maximizes beauty at every budget. Picasso Gold & Diamond has your stone on our website, your certificate, and the technology to let you see it all before you ever commit.Our diamonds collections bring you the vast collections of diamonds from around the world which helps you find the best diamonds and worth to your purchase. Browse the full collection with 360° video: 👉 picassogolddiamond.com/pages/diamonds Visit us in Chicago: 📍 54 E Madison Ave, Chicago, IL 60602 📞 +1-312-900-3525 ✉️ info@picassogolddiamond.com 🗓️ Book a personalized appointment

Buying a diamond is one of the most meaningful purchases of your life. Whether you're selecting a stone for an engagement ring, an anniversary, or a timeless investment piece, the stakes are high, emotionally and financially. And yet, for decades, the diamond-buying experience has been built on trust you could barely verify: a certificate, a loupe, and a salesperson's word under flattering store lighting. That era is over. A new standard has arrived. If you're shopping for natural loose diamonds or lab-grown diamonds in Chicago or anywhere in the United States. You deserve to see exactly what you're paying for, in full 360° detail, before you spend a single dollar. At Picasso Gold & Diamond Jewelry, located in the heart of Chicago's Loop at 54 E Madison Street, that's precisely what we offer: an online diamond shopping experience powered by professional 360° diamond video technology that shows you more than your naked eye can see in any showroom on Earth. Here's how to use it, what to look for, and why it changes everything.   Why Traditional Diamond Shopping Leaves You in the Dark Walk into most jewelry stores and you'll be handed a loupe and told to look for inclusions under magnification. Here's the problem: unless you're a trained gemologist, you won't know what you're looking at. Store lighting is strategically designed to maximize brilliance and minimize visible flaws. You're essentially buying a stone you cannot truly evaluate. Online diamond shopping has historically been even worse. a flat, static image that tells you almost nothing about how light actually moves through the stone. The result? Millions of Americans overpay for diamonds that don't perform as beautifully as promised, or pass up exceptional stones they couldn't recognize because they lacked the right tools to see them. What 360° Diamond Video Technology Actually Shows You The diamond viewing technology featured on Picasso Gold & Diamond's Loose Diamonds page captures something no photograph and often no in-person viewing can replicate: a diamond in full motion, under controlled professional lighting, from every angle simultaneously. Here's what you can genuinely evaluate through a high-quality 360° diamond video: Light Performance & Brilliance A diamond's cut determines how light enters, bounces internally, and returns to your eye as fire and brilliance. In a 360° video, you watch the stone rotate in real time. You see how consistently it flashes. You see whether the brightness is uniform or patchy. A poorly cut diamond that looks passable in a static image reveals its weaknesses the moment it moves. An exceptional cut stone becomes unmistakably alive. Inclusion Mapping Clarity characteristics, inclusions inside the stone, blemishes on its surface, tell the story of a diamond's journey. In a 360° video at high magnification, you can spot black carbon inclusions, feathers, clouds, and crystals that even trained eyes miss under standard store lighting. More critically, you can see where inclusions are positioned, a centered inclusion directly under the table is far more visible than one hidden near the girdle beneath a prong. Symmetry and Cut Precision Is the table perfectly centered? Are the facets aligned with precision? Does the star pattern look balanced? These details, invisible in photographs, become apparent when a diamond rotates slowly under professional lighting. Cut quality is the single greatest driver of a diamond's beauty and 360° video is the clearest way to judge it without a gemologist's years of training. Color in Controlled Light Color grading on a certificate tells you where a diamond falls on the D-to-Z scale. But certificates don't show you how a color grade looks in real life within a specific stone's crystal structure. Video lets you see warmth or coolness in the diamond's body color across multiple rotations and lighting angles, the way it will actually appear on her finger. Proportions and Face-Up Size A diamond can look impressively large on paper but carry excessive weight in its depth meaning you're paying carat weight you cannot see. 360° video and side profiles help you evaluate the stone's face-up appearance relative to its carat size, ensuring you get maximum visual impact for your budget.   How to Shop the Picasso Gold & Diamond Diamond Page Like a Pro When you visit picassogolddiamond.com/pages/diamonds, here's a step-by-step approach to finding your ideal stone: Step 1: Choose Your Diamond Type Start by selecting between the Natural and Lab-Grown tabs. Both are real diamonds - chemically, physically, and optically identical. The difference is origin and price. Natural diamonds carry geological rarity and a longer secondary market history. Lab-grown diamonds offer the same visual beauty at significantly lower price points, making larger carat weights more accessible. Neither is superior when it comes down to your values and your budget. Step 2: Filter by the 4Cs Use the filters to narrow by carat weight, cut grade, color, and clarity. Professional tip: prioritize cut above all else. An Excellent-cut G/VS2 diamond will outperform a Fair-cut D/IF diamond in visible beauty every single time. Don't be dazzled by top color and clarity grades on paper if the cut grade is compromised. Step 3: Watch the 360° Video Before Reading the Certificate This is counterintuitive but powerful. Watch the video first with fresh eyes. Does the stone excite you? Does it flash brilliantly? Does it look clean and alive? Then read the certificate. You may find that a VS2 stone looks cleaner than an SI1 you were previously considering or that a G-color diamond faces up whiter than the F you assumed you needed. Step 4: Place Your Order Once you've identified your stone, you can place the order on website and diamond will be delivered by insured free shipping including the certificate within 4 to 10 days of the order placed. The Picasso team, based right here in Chicago, will personally review your selection, confirm availability, inspect the diamonds and clear any doubts if you have or suggestions you need before, during or after the purchase of your diamonds and any diamond jewelry.  Please don't hesitate to contact us through our live chat or you can contact on the number given on the website via call, text or email. Natural Diamonds vs. Lab-Grown Diamonds: Which Should You Buy? This is the question every modern diamond buyer faces. Here's an honest breakdown: Natural Diamonds are formed over billions of years under intense pressure deep within the Earth. They carry irreplaceable geological provenance, a well-established secondary market, and tend to retain value better over time. For buyers for whom origin and rarity carry emotional significance, particularly for engagement rings, natural diamonds remain the gold standard. Lab-Grown Diamonds are created in controlled environments using HPHT or CVD processes and are chemically, physically, and visually identical to natural diamonds. Even expert gemologists cannot distinguish them without specialized equipment. They are typically priced 50–80% lower than natural equivalents of the same grade, making a 2-carat, Excellent-cut, near-colorless stone accessible to couples who couldn't previously consider it. For those who prioritize size, visual impact, and value, lab-grown diamonds are a compelling and completely legitimate choice. At Picasso Gold & Diamond, both categories are available, both are certified by respected independent laboratories, and both can be viewed in the same 360° video format so you can compare them on pure merit. GIA vs. IGI: Understanding Diamond Certifications - And Why It Matters for Your Purchase This is one of the most googled questions in the diamond world, and for good reason. When you're spending thousands of dollars on a diamond, the certification on that stone carries real weight. Let's break this down clearly and honestly. What Is GIA? The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is widely considered the most prestigious and conservative diamond grading laboratory in the world. Founded in 1931, GIA essentially invented the modern 4Cs grading system that the entire industry still uses today. Their grading standards are strict, consistent, and internationally recognized. A GIA certificate is trusted by dealers, appraisers, insurers, and resellers globally. GIA is the benchmark against which all other labs are measured. When a jeweler says a stone is "GIA certified," it carries an implied guarantee of rigorous, third-party verification. What Is IGI? The International Gemological Institute (IGI) was founded in 1975 in Antwerp, Belgium, and has grown into one of the largest independent gem certification laboratories in the world, with offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia. IGI certifies both natural diamonds and, critically, has become the dominant certification lab for lab-grown diamonds globally. IGI certificates cover the same 4Cs grading criteria as GIA: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. They are widely accepted across the jewelry industry and recognized by major retailers, insurers, and resellers. GIA vs. IGI: The Real Differences Grading Strictness on Natural Diamonds: This is where buyers need to pay attention. On natural diamonds, GIA is generally considered the stricter grader of the two. A diamond graded G/VS1 by IGI may receive an H/VS2 grade from GIA — not because one lab is fraudulent, but because grading diamonds involves human judgment on a spectrum, and GIA applies more conservative standards. Studies conducted by independent gemologists and industry publications have consistently shown that IGI grades natural diamonds approximately one grade more generously than GIA on average for both color and clarity. What does this mean practically? If you're comparing an IGI-certified G/VS1 natural diamond priced against a GIA G/VS1, the IGI stone may actually be performing closer to what GIA would call an H/VS2. This is why price differences exist between identical-looking certificates from different labs. Lab-Grown Diamonds - Where IGI Shines: The story is dramatically different for lab-grown diamonds. IGI has become the industry standard for lab-grown diamond certification, and their grading on lab-grown stones is widely respected and trusted across the market. GIA has also entered the lab-grown certification space, but IGI has more volume, more experience, and broader acceptance specifically in the lab-grown segment. If you're buying a lab-grown diamond with an IGI certificate, you can shop with confidence, you're working with the most established certification standard in that category. Turnaround and Availability: GIA is the preferred lab for dealers focused on the high-end natural diamond market. IGI processes significantly higher volume, which gives it broader representation across mid-market natural diamonds and the lab-grown space. This is why many excellent, legitimately beautiful natural diamonds carry IGI certificates — it doesn't make them inferior stones. What This Means When Shopping at Picasso Gold & Diamond Picasso's loose diamonds collection features a strong selection of IGI-certified diamonds, particularly in the lab-grown category where IGI is the gold standard. For natural diamonds with IGI certification, here is the most important thing to understand: the certificate grade is your starting point, not your ending point. This is precisely where Picasso's 360° video technology becomes your greatest advantage as a buyer. Rather than trusting a paper grade blindly, whether it's GIA or IGI.  You can watch the actual stone in motion, in full detail, under professional lighting. You can see with your own eyes whether the stated clarity grade looks clean. You can see whether the color appears white or warm. You can judge the cut's brilliance directly. Two VS1 diamonds with identical IGI certificates can look completely different from each other in a 360° video. One may appear slightly hazy; another may be extraordinary. The video removes the uncertainty that a lab grade alone cannot eliminate, regardless of which lab issued the certificate. Our Honest Recommendation: If you are buying a lab-grown diamond, IGI certification is the industry standard and you should feel completely confident shopping IGI-certified stones. If you are buying a natural diamond with an IGI certificate, use the 360° video as your primary evaluation tool alongside the certificate, and don't hesitate to ask the Picasso team for their assessment. Their gemologists can tell you exactly how a specific stone's IGI grade compares to what GIA would likely assign, full transparency, no guesswork. This is the kind of honest guidance a true jewelry partner provides. And it's available to every buyer who contacts Picasso, whether you're spending $2,000 or $50,000. Why GIA Certification Matters And What to Look for in Any Certificate Regardless of the lab, a grading certificate is your foundation. When evaluating any diamond certificate alongside your 360° video, confirm the following:  Cut Grade: For round brilliants, look for Excellent or Very Good. For fancy shapes (oval, cushion, pear, emerald), neither GIA nor IGI assigns a single overall cut grade rely on the video more heavily for these shapes. Color: D through F is colorless; G through J is near-colorless and where most buyers find the best value-to-appearance ratio. Beyond J, warmth becomes visible to the naked eye in most settings. Clarity: Internally Flawless through VS1 is eye-clean in virtually all cases. VS2 and SI1 are often eye-clean and offer excellent value, but this is where the 360° video is essential, because two SI1 diamonds can look dramatically different from each other. Carat: Buy the weight that fits your setting and visual preference, not the round number on paper. A 1.48-carat stone with a superior cut will face up larger and more brilliantly than a 1.52-carat stone with a Fair cut. Five Things Smart Diamond Buyers Know That Most People Don't 1. The price jump from VS2 to VS1 is rarely worth it visually. Use the 360° video to confirm eye-cleanliness, then buy the lower grade and reinvest the savings in cut quality or carat size. 2. Fancy shapes offer better carat-per-dollar value. Oval, cushion, and pear-cut diamonds often appear larger face-up than round brilliants of the same carat weight, and typically cost 20–30% less. 3. Fluorescence isn't always bad. Faint to medium blue fluorescence in a G or H color diamond can actually make the stone appear whiter, and it typically comes with a price reduction. The 360° video will show you immediately if it causes any haziness in a specific stone, which is rare in well-cut diamonds. 4. Lab certification alone doesn't make a diamond beautiful. Two GIA Excellent/D/VVS1 diamonds with identical certificates can look completely different. The video tells you what the certificate cannot. 5. The best diamond is the one that moves you. After all the data, grades, and comparisons,  trust your eyes. The 360° video gives you the clearest, most honest view of a diamond available outside a professional gemologist's lab. Use it exactly that way. Ready to Find Your Diamond? Browse the full collection of certified natural and lab-grown loose diamonds with 360° video on every stone at: 👉 picassogolddiamond.com/pages/diamonds Watch them move. See them sparkle. Know exactly what you're buying before you ever spend a dollar. Then schedule your personalized appointment or reach us directly. Your perfect diamond is one 360° view away.Picasso Gold & Diamond Jewelry : Chicago's destination for IGI and GIA certified loose diamonds, custom engagement rings, lab-grown diamonds, and fine diamond jewelry. Proudly serving from Chicago to United States - All the purchases above $300 comes with complimentary shipping.