5 Reasons Why the GIA Is Considered the “ELITE” of Diamond Institutions
“Who’s Gia?”
The question you should be asking is what is GIA. The GIA is short for Gemological Institute of America, the leading authority in the world for diamonds, colored stones and pearls. The GIA is basically the Harvard University of the diamond industry. If your diamond is GIA certified, it is an assurance that your diamond is of utmost quality in regards to the Four C’s; color, cut, clarity and carat weight. But just how important is it for a diamond to be GIA certified?
Unfortunately, you can't trust every jeweler in the industry. Not everyone has your best interest in mind. This is where having a certification proving the authenticity of every aspect of the diamond is very important.
The average person spends several thousand dollars on a diamond. Some even spending more than the cost of a car or boat. Imagine saving up for months to propose to the life of your life, only to find out the diamond you bought isn't up to the standards that you paid for. Or even worse, the diamond is fake! Here are 5 reasons why the GIA is considered the best.
1.The GIA has the best reputation in the industry.
The GIA is the preferred institution for diamond grading. This is based on factors such as accuracy, strict guidelines, professionalism and unbiased grading scales. Most major brands and jewelry companies offer GIA certification for all diamonds over a certain weight.
2. The GIA will provide a complete report on the attributes of the diamond.
The GIA grades each diamond and provides a GIA report based on the Four C’s, color, cut, clarity and carat. It also provides a plotting diagram that shows the unique characteristics of the diamond, such as inclusions.
The higher the quality, the more expensive the diamond. For example, the color of a diamond, or lack of, greatly influences the price of the stone. If the diamond color falls within the D-F range, it is considered a colorless diamond. A colorless diamond is more expensive than a near colorless diamond (G-J), a near colorless diamond is more expensive than a faint diamond (K-M) and so on. The GIA report will clearly and accurately state which grade range your diamond falls within, ensuring it was exactly what you paid for.
3. The GIA only employs the world's best.
The GIA hires highly trained diamond graders, gemologists, research technicians and scientists to study diamonds. Some of the world’s most expensive and well-known diamonds have been inspected by GIA employees. This includes the legendary Hope Diamond, weighing in at a whopping 45.52 carats. Other GIA jobs include appraiser, buyer, designer, bench jeweler, lab and research professional, auction specialist, and manufacturer. Each career has its own set of qualifications, degrees, courses and labs one must take in order to work with and properly inspect diamonds.
4. The GIA is a nonprofit public benefit institute and is completely independent from any major jewelry brand.
It’s obvious why this aspect is so important. Sure, the GIA claims the diamond in question is perfect but how do we know they came to this conclusion without any bias. The GIA is not affiliated with any commercial company and assures customers their utmost honest and unbiased opinion. This is something the GIA has prided themselves on since it was first established in 1931.
5. The GIA report is easy to access.
In the past, the buyer would have to go to their experienced, local jeweler and request the formal report. The fee of this request depends on the weight of the diamond. In 2012, GIA introduced a new online version of their prestigious grading report. According to the GIA website, they made this change to “meet the needs of an evolving marketplace where information must be accessed and communicated rapidly. Additionally, the paperless report format allows us to offer this grading service at a lower fee.” The online report is also environmentally friendly which is becoming increasingly important in today’s age.
It's important to note that there are other institutions that grade diamonds such as American Gemological Society (AGS), European Gemological Laboratory (EGL), and the International Gemological Institute (IGI). They all offer a variation of certifications for diamonds and have proven to be quite accurate as well.
Everyone will have their own preference on which certification they want their diamond to have. At King of Jewelry, we strive to offer mostly GIA certified diamonds to our customers because we put our trust in an institution that has been trusted as #1 in the industry for 88 years. We put our trust in the GIA so you can put your trust in us.