Symbolizing the everlasting attributes of love and romance, Diamonds in all their sparkling glory have the ability to thrill like no other gem. From the engagement ring to the wedding band, these precious stones are the ultimate choice for every couple.
Diamond jewelry is undoubtedly an expensive purchase and it is hard to choose just the right one to celebrate the special occasions of your life.
Not everyone is a frequent diamond shopper, so buying the perfect stone can be an overwhelming experience. While shopping, it is important to understand the value and quality of what you are buying.
As you research and shop for diamonds, you may often come across ‘GIA Certified Diamonds’. So what exactly is a GIA diamond grading report and why is it important for you?
Check out this blog to know more GIA diamonds and feel confident about your next purchase.
Table Of Contents
- What Is The Gemological Institute of America (GIA)?
- What Is A GIA Diamond?
- What Is A Diamond Report?
- What Are The Different GIA Reports?
- GIA Diamond Grading Report
- GIA Diamond Dossier Report
- GIA Diamond eReport
- Diamond Origin Report
- GIA Laboratory-Grown Diamond Report
- How The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Grades Diamonds
- What Is The GIA Diamond Grade Scale?
- Color
- Clarity
- Cut
- Carat Weight
- Where To Buy GIA Graded Diamonds?
- Why Should You Buy Diamond With A GIA Report?
What Is The Gemological Institute of America (GIA)?
Established in 1931, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has been pioneering in its approach to grading, analysis & development for over 90 years.
Being an independent, non-profit institute dedicated to research & education in the field of gemology and jewelry arts, GIA’s mission is to protect both consumers & sellers and increase public’s trust in jewelry. It does so by upholding the highest quality standards for evaluating gemstones and diamonds.
GIA has had a long history of groundbreaking contributions, out of which the most recognized is the creation of 4C’s (Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat), the universal method for evaluating value in a diamond.
The 4C’s led to the development of the International Diamond Grading System in 1953 and the first diamond grading report in 1955.
Following the release, this grading report became the industry’s benchmark for assessing the authenticity and quality.
To this day, GIA is independent and at the forefront of gemological science & research and is highly respected for its stringent grading parameters and demonstrated consistency.
Those who buy, sell or curate the world’s most important diamonds, including the ‘Hope’ and the ‘De Beers Centenary’ diamond, rely on GIA.
What Is A GIA Diamond?
A ‘GIA Diamond’ is a diamond that has been through a rigorous analysis and subsequently issued a grading report by the Gemological Institute of America, the world’s foremost authority in independent third-party diamond certification.
GIA does not mine diamonds, nor does it buy, sell or trade them commercially. Its main function is the grading of diamonds.
It’s worth noting that GIA does not set diamond market prices, however, it provides detailed reports about important features of a diamond that determines its intrinsic value.
Being a third party organization, GIA is able to grade diamonds without sellers’ bias and ensures that the diamond quality assessments are completely objective and unbiased.
What Is A Diamond Report?
A diamond report is the scientific blueprint of a stone’s exact quality characteristics.
Though ‘report’ and ‘certificate’ are often used interchangeably in the trade, GIA itself does not use the word ‘certificate’ or ‘certified’ to describe the document it issues. But in this article to make it simple we will still use these terms.
The document which GIA provides is a scientific report based on the evaluation of a diamond that outlines the quality features of the diamond. It does not certify the diamond or its value.
The reports are created individually for every diamond that have been examined in GIA’s lab by their expert gemologists and their grading standards. They provide an unbiased assessment of the 4Cs and a full description of the diamond, including color, clarity, weight, measurements, cutting style, and disclose any known treatments.
What Are The Different GIA Reports?
GIA offers a range of professional reports including digital versions, each containing the trusted and highly accurate grading information that shoppers can rely on. These reports not only verify the diamond’s authenticity but also include a wide range of other pertinent details.
GIA Diamond Grading Report
The GIA Diamond Grading Report is issued for stones that fall in the D-Z color range.
This detailed report includes full analysis of the stone’s shape and cutting style, measurements, carat weight, color, clarity, cut grade (for round brilliant cut diamonds), polish and symmetry assessments, and fluorescence.
The report also includes a plotted diagram indicating the relative size and location of clarity characteristics, a graphic representation of the stones proportions and the GIA grading scale.
GIA Diamond Dossier Report
The GIA Diamond Dossier is issued for diamonds between 0.15 and 1.99 carats that fall in the D-Z normal color range.
This GIA Diamond Dossier report includes all of the information featured in the Diamond Grading Report except the plotted diagram.
GIA Diamond eReport
The GIA Diamond eReport, is a digital-only report which provides the same grading results as on other GIA reports. The report includes a graphic representation of the diamond’s proportions and the added feature of a detailed face up image of the diamond captured during the grading process. It is accessible online via Report Check, GIA’s report database. This service is available for natural, untreated diamonds in the D-to-Z color range that weigh from 0.15 to 2.99 carats.
Diamond Origin Report
The GIA Diamond Origin Report includes a full assessment of the 4Cs along with a plotted diagram of its clarity characteristics, a confirmation of geographic origin, and laser inscription of GIA report number for easy identification.
This service is only for eligible stones that have gone through rough analysis with GIA before polishing.
Such grading reports not only tell a compelling story of the diamond’s journey from mine to market, but also enhance the consumer’s confidence when buying a certified diamond.
GIA Laboratory-Grown Diamond Report
With the rapid increase in the availability of lab-grown diamonds in the jewelry market as an alternative to natural diamonds, the latest GIA’s lab grown report is an important tool for the marketing of such stones.
The report includes the 4Cs specifications on the same scales as the grading report for natural diamonds.
How The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Grades Diamonds
When a diamond is submitted to the GIA laboratory for grading, the lab ensures that total objectivity is maintained in order to produce a fair and unbiased outcome. All are placed in transparent cases and packaging/references to the owner are replaced with a barcode.
The stone undergoes multiple tests and evaluations to ensure a high level of precision and accuracy. GIA screens every one to identify lab grown stones, simulants and treatments. Expert graders and gemologists examine the diamond under controlled environment in the state-of-the-art grading lab.
As they move through the grading process, they are monitored by a central tracking system using electronic surveillance equipment which can identify the diamond’s accurate location at any time.
At the end of this process, a GIA report is produced, which gives a full and reliable assessment of the diamond quality and the 4 C’s. The report is printed with a hologram, and other security components before being laminated.
The final GIA diamond grading report is then placed in a protective cover and delivered to the owner, along with the originally submitted diamond.
What Is The GIA Diamond Grade Scale?
Diamonds have been mined for centuries. However, without grades the condition and value of these diamonds is subjective.
Although there are various grading laboratories, each having its own criteria for grading diamonds, the GIA created system is universally accepted, accurate, and trustworthy.
The GIA 4Cs of Cut, Carat, Color and Clarity provide a way to objectively compare and evaluate stones. That is why their diamond certificate is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler and almost anyone buying a diamond in the world.
Color
Although many people think of diamonds as colorless, truly colorless diamonds are actually quite rare and pricey. Most diamonds used in jewelry are near colorless with tints of yellow/brown.
The color scale begins with the letter ‘D’, representing colorless and continues with increasing presence of yellow, brown or grey to the letter ‘Z’.
Each color grade has a clearly defined range of color appearance.
Clarity
Clarity refers to the absence of inclusions and blemishes in a diamond.
Since diamonds form under immense heat and pressure, it’s extremely rare to find a diamond that lacks such clarity characteristics.
The GIA Clarity scale includes eleven clarity grades ranging from ‘Flawless’ to ‘Included 3’. With this scale, they will assign each stone a clarity grade depending on its inclusions and blemishes.
Cut
Experts believe that this grade should be the customer’s chief concern when shopping for a diamond or engagement ring. A well-cut diamond which is slightly blemished or tinted looks far better than a clear but terribly-cut stone.
A diamond’s cut is what unleashes its light.
GIA calculates the proportions of those facets of the diamond which affect its light performance and contribute to the beauty and overall appeal.
The cut grade scale ranges from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Poor’.
Carat Weight
Carat is the unit used to describe the weight of gems and diamonds.
One carat equals to 200 milligrams and is divided into 100 points.
The weight is the most obvious factor in determining the value of a diamond, but two stones of equal size can have different values depending on the other members of the 4Cs.
Where To Buy GIA Graded Diamonds?
Many credible jewelry stores worldwide will have a GIA grading report for the diamonds they sell, which you can ask to see if the diamond is GIA graded prior to purchasing. The diamond’s report should also be given to you once you complete the purchase.
Popular e-commerce websites and online stores also sell diamonds graded by GIA.
When diamond buying, always request to see; the grading report, GIA certificate, and the diamond’s serial number.
Additionally, the official GIA website has a Retailer Lookup section. This ‘GIA Retailer Lookup’ can help you find stores/retailers in your area who carry GIA-graded diamonds or have GIA-trained staff.
Why Should You Buy Diamond With A GIA Report?
For many people diamond buying is one of the most stressful and expensive purchases they will ever make.
Knowing that a diamond has been GIA certified gives you an added layer of confidence that the diamond you are getting is of good value for its quality.
It removes much of the guesswork and gives you peace of mind, you otherwise might not have if you choose a non certified diamond.
A GIA Diamond Report is a guarantee of quality since it is thoroughly inspected by multiple expert and seasoned professionals. It clearly sets out the diamond’s attributes in a way that makes it easy to compare and empowers you to balance matters of budget and quality with confidence.
Most consumers insure their fine GIA Diamonds and the diamond report is one of the most important appraisal documents. Thus, it is vital to have a top-notch report such as the GIA’s that details out the quality components of your diamond.
Finally, such reports ensure that the diamond or engagement ring will have resale value if you ever decide to pass it forward or sell/ upgrade it.
GIA reports are highly trusted in the industry and buying GIA certified diamonds ensures a safe and happy purchase. So if you want the best diamond possible for your engagement or investment, speak to your local jeweler about their GIA diamonds.
Ten articles before and after
What Is A Salt And Pepper Diamond?| CHURINGA
How Much Is An 8 Carat Diamond?| CHURINGA
How To Wear Multiple Diamond Rings| CHURINGA
How To Clean A White Gold Chain?| CHURINGA
Do Diamonds Have Serial Numbers?| CHURINGA
How To Clean Brass Jewelry| CHURINGA
What Is A Saffron Diamond?| CHURINGA
What Is A Mothers Ring?| CHURINGA