We recommend every buyer only purchase a diamond with a GIA or AGS Certificate. The GIA is the most respected and most consistent of all of the grading entities.
We recommend every buyer only purchase a diamond with a GIA or AGS Certificate. The GIA is the most respected and most consistent of all of the grading entities.
History of GIA
Robert M. Shipley, a successful jeweler in the 1920s, noticed a lack of expertise in the jewelry trade. With a desire to bring trust to the industry, he completed the Great Britain National Association of Goldsmiths gemological course. Then, he launched his own gemology course to certify jewelers. He also started a jewelers’ guild.
In 1931, the first GIA gemological laboratory was established, creating standards for evaluating gemstones. As a nonprofit organization, the GIA offers gemology and jewelry research and education, along with grading gemstones worldwide. The GIA is based out of Carlsbad, California with office locations in 13 countries.
The GIA is the respected entity when it comes to diamond and jewelry grading and certificates. They’re the most consistent lab in the business.
A diamond is graded on how white or colorless it is. The GIA grades diamonds from D to Z, with D being the most colorless and Z containing noticeable yellow or brown.
In most cases, the naked eye is unable to tell the difference between two adjacent graded diamonds, though the price difference may be significant. While it’s important to know the GIA color grade of a diamond, the most important aspect is to determine if the diamond looks colorless to the naked eye in relation to its setting.
How GIA Certification Impacts Cost
Even though the GIA is the gold standard in the lab grading world, a diamond with a GIA certificate doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more expensive.
Because the GIA is consistent and grades diamonds more rigidly than other labs, though, a diamond with a certificate from an entity other than GIA might appear as a better deal. The GIA certificate, however, is far more valid and reflects the true value and beauty of a diamond. Overall, it is best not to compare prices by two equally graded diamonds from different entities.
Advantages of GIA Certification
- The most well-respected diamond grading entity
- The most consistent grading entity
- Long history in the diamond industry
- Rigorous grading (ensuring the diamond is what the certificate says it is)
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