There can be little doubt that the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is the world’s premier diamond grading laboratory. Although most people are more familiar with the term “Diamond Certificate”, the GIA has made it clear that it prefers the term Diamond Grading Report rather than Certificate. Their concern seems to be that the term “Certificate” might imply that the lab is endorsing the diamond, rather than objectively describing it. However people in the diamond trade still use the term “certificate”, even when referring to a GIA Report. The important thing is that the consumer is aware of this distinction, and that if a retailer refers to a GIA “certificate”, then that is one and the same thing as the actual GIA Diamond Report.
A Diamond Grading Report therefore is a statement issued by an independent Gemological Laboratory, to the effect that at the time of examination, the diamond in question has been examined by qualified and experienced diamond graders, using a variety of gemological instruments, and guarantees that the diamond’s characteristics are as stated in the Report. The importance of having a diamond examined and evaluated by an independent laboratory lies in the fact that its minute characteristics, invisible to the naked-eye can have a major influence on the intrinsic value, and hence the price, of your diamond.
The GIA has the best instruments and the most advanced gem lab in the world. They lead and others follow. I once sent a brilliant-cut diamond for grading to a lesser laboratory, which shall be nameless. When the diamond and report were returned to me, I was dismayed (and more than slightly perplexed) to read that the girdle was graded as “extremely thin to very thick”. I examined the diamond myself with a 10x loupe, and found the girdle to be medium to slightly thick. I phoned the lab and took issue with the grader over this apparent anomaly, and was informed that the “software” they used must have returned the wrong result! Needless to say I have not used that particular laboratory since then, but this cautionary tale does serve to illustrate the risk involved in cutting corners by not consulting the acknowledged experts.
Every GIA Diamond Report has a number which uniquely identifies the diamond to which it refers. The lab keeps a copy of everything which you see on the report, so were you ever to lose your report, you can call them, quoting the number, and they can issue a duplicate, provided of course that you know the number! If your diamond has been laser-inscribed on its girdle with its unique report number, this can be retrieved using a 10x loupe (and a steady hand!). There is also a facility for verifying a report on the GIA website, for which you will need to supply both the report number and the carat weight of the diamond.
Author :By John Tidball
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