GIA Certification

Diamonds are the most precious gemstones in the world.

While most buyers understand that diamonds are valuable, many simply do not have the knowledge, expertise or training required to verify that the purchases they make really are the quality they are looking for… A diamond certificate is the answer to those doubts.

GIA was founded in 1931 by Robert M. Shipley, and its first laboratory opened in Los Angeles.

Diamonds with GIA certificates are regarded as being of a higher standard, because the institute is considered very rigorous, with exacting grading processes, and it is in effect the final authority on knowledge in the diamond field: it is the "gold standard" of certificates.

The organization is also regarded as a leading source of education, knowledge and standards in everything to do with gemstones and jewelry.

The creation of the 4Cs and the international diamond grading system is attributed to GIA

GIA is an international gemological institute in the United States with branches all over the world; it is the world leader and is accepted on every diamond exchange. The institute is independent and not-for-profit, and is considered the supreme authority in the field.

A GIA certificate sets out the diamond's characteristics that determine its value. The characteristics covered in the certificate usually include features such as symmetry, clarity, fluorescence, polish and color, shape and cutting style (opens in new tab), and measurements - a description of the diamond's dimensions:

• Carat weight - the carat weight of the stone.
• Color grade - a letter grade for the stone's color (opens in new tab) across the D-to-Z color range.
• Clarity grade - a grade given on the basis of any flaws seen in the stone (opens in new tab).
• Cut grade - a grade given to describe the quality of the cut (opens in new tab).

The GIA fluorescence scale

GIA also grades a diamond's fluorescence, on the following scale:

• None
• Faint
• Medium
• Strong
• Very strong

In addition, the certificate provides a plotted diagram showing the stone's clarity characteristics and proportions, as well as a microscopic laser inscription of the GIA report number, for easier identification of the diamond.

Diamond certificates give buyers confidence that the stone they are purchasing matches the jeweler's claims about its quality. That said, we would note that a certificate is not the same as a valuation. A certificate serves as a diagram explaining the stone's unique characteristics. A valuation may mention those characteristics, but it is carried out specifically in order to provide an assessment of the worth of a particular diamond based on current market values.

There are various gemological institutes in Israel and around the world, all of them with three-letter abbreviations, so many people may confuse the different institutes - but we would emphasize: GIA is the most highly regarded of them all.

Why buy a GIA-certified stone?

We recommend that buyers interested in stones weighing 0.50 carat and above buy diamonds with a certificate, principally a GIA grading report (opens in new tab), which serves as confirmation of the color, the clarity and the other parameters, and that they verify this before purchase. The certificate is an accreditation that provides peace of mind that the diamond purchased really is the diamond you bought.

What are the advantages of buying diamonds with a GIA certificate?

• Confirmation that you will receive exactly what you bought - the carat, color grade, clarity grade and cut.
• Confirmation that the diamond was examined by the most rigorous laboratory in the world.
• A diamond sold without a certificate may be presented to the buyer with an incorrect grading and, as a result, sold at a price far above its true quality.
• The GIA laboratory is international, with branches around the world, and for that reason it is recognized and traded on worldwide.
• If in future you want to upgrade the diamond you bought, a GIA certificate is more "tradeable".
• The GIA laboratory usually engraves the certificate number on the diamond's girdle, and this is the diamond's identity card.

Where you buy a certified diamond matters, too

Because a GIA report makes a stone's quality directly comparable, where you buy a certified diamond can matter almost as much as the grade itself. Many experienced buyers choose to purchase closer to the source - from diamond manufacturers or long-established suppliers rather than through a chain of intermediaries. Buying more directly can reduce added markups, open access to a larger inventory of certified stones, make pricing more transparent, and make it easier to compare one graded diamond against another; it can also allow greater flexibility if you want a stone cut, matched or set to your own specification. Direct suppliers such as Israel Diamonds (opens in new tab), for example, list loose GIA-graded diamonds (opens in new tab) and wholesale diamonds (opens in new tab) that can be compared side by side before buying.

Tips for buying safely and well

1. Buy only from a seller who holds a "diamond trading license". That way you know you are buying from the source and from an authorized dealer holding a diamond trading license from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, who is subject to the State of Israel's diamond trading laws.

2. A GIA certificate is made of rigid, laminated card in shades of ivory and gold, and comes in two sizes.

3. After the stone is set, ask the place that sold you the ring to check the diamond's inscription, which GIA engraves (using a microscope); that way you can verify for yourself that the diamond matches the certificate you purchased.

4. All the large, recognized diamond laboratories have online verification for their certificates. The GIA laboratory's website is: https://www.gia.edu/ - there is also a scannable code that appears on the certificate itself.

5. A GIA graduate's diploma is in no way the same as a GIA certificate: a GIA graduate has simply studied gemology at GIA; that does not make them the laboratory!

Example of a GIA certificate