You will hear the term “GIA” a lot while shopping for engagement ring. GIA stands for the Gemological Institute of America, which is the creator of the independent diamond authority and the 4 C’s. Read ahead to learn more about GIA diamonds and understand why most of the diamond shoppers rely on them.
GIA Diamonds
GIA diamond is a term that diamond sellers use to describe all those diamonds that are graded by the Gemological Institute of America. GIA is a non-profit, independent organization located in California that conducts researches on gems, sets standards on diamond quality, and educates gem professionals.
One of the main functions of GIA is to grade diamonds. You might have heard of the 4 C’s of diamond quality – clarity, color, carat, and cut. It is GIA, who created this standard together with many scientific procedures for evaluating each of the C’s and the grading terminologies that are used to describe them.
GIA does not mine, sell, buy, or trade diamonds in any way. In addition, the agency does not appraise diamonds and is not involved in diamond valuation or pricing. They operate independently of the commercial interests, making sure that the quality assessments done by them are really unbiased and objective. So, if you wish to know the quality of the diamond that you are considering buying, then it is important to look for the GIA grading report for the stone.
Are All Diamonds GIA Diamonds?
You should never have the misconception that all diamonds are graded and certified by GIA. It may seem like that to you due to the large quantity of GIA graded diamonds available in the gems and jewelry market. However, you need to ask for the GIA grading document of the diamond to ensure that your diamond was graded by the institute.
Together with a complete assessment of the 4 C’s of the diamond, the report will contain a unique identification number. This number might also be inscribed on the girdle of the diamond, and it can be used to access the online global report database of the stone. This way, you can confirm that it is graded by the GIA and understand the grading details of the same.
The term “GIA certified diamond” is a misnomer. Terms like “GIA cert” and “GIA certified” are very commonly used in the diamond industry and are used to refer to diamonds that have been graded by GIA. Yet you should realize that GIA only grades diamonds; they do not certify diamonds.