If you follow this blog, you know to look for GIA reports when making a diamond, pearl or colored gemstone purchase. The “blue” GIA report had been around for more years than we can count – that is, until January of this year, when GIA began issuing its trusted reports in a new look. By integrating new technologies and simplifying the format, the reports were redesigned to set a new standard for jewelry buyers in terms of ease of use and credibility.

GIA’s trusted gem evaluation doesn’t change, but the redesigned reports include some new features:

• They use a lot less paper and other materials, making for a smaller environmental footprint and underscoring GIA’s dedication to environmentally-friendly business practices.

• Reports are printed on paper that is proprietary to GIA and specially designed for security and your peace of mind.

• Reports display grading and evaluation details in a simpler, easier-to-read format.

• A QR code gives you direct access to GIA’s Report Check service, allowing you to quickly and easily confirm the authenticity of the report with a single click.

Since the 1950s, GIA’s diamond grading reports have represented the highest standard of reliability, credibility and integrity. Every GIA report is the result of a meticulous scientific process that provides an objective assessment of a gem’s quality. So whether your jeweler presents you with a 2014 GIA report in the new format or a previous version, rest assured you’re getting the same benchmark evaluation, regardless of report format..

Reports in the new format are just starting to appear in jewelry stores, so expect them to phase in over time.

The post A New Look for the World’s Most Trusted Gem Credential appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

The previous installment of the 2013 Holiday Buying Guide covered the basics of the 4Cs of diamond qualities. But how will you know that the diamond you’re considering buying has the qualities you’re looking for? The answer…an independent, unbiased evaluation.   

This evaluation is called a grading report, and it is essential that you request to see a grading report for any diamond purchase you’re considering this holiday before you make your purchase.

As creator of the 4Cs and the International Diamond Grading System^TM, GIA is considered the benchmark independent grading laboratory. GIA was the first to issue independent grading reports in the early 1950s, and today its Diamond Grading Report and Diamond Dossier® are globally recognized and trusted. A GIA grading report contains a full scientific and unbiased assessment of your diamond’s 4Cs and discloses any known treatments.

What actually goes into a grading report? The third installment of the 2013 Holiday Buying Guide provides an informative video tutorial to walk you through the features and benefits found on a GIA grading report, and explain what that means for you and your diamond.

The post Holiday Buying Guide – Part 3: How to Read a GIA Grading Report Video appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

GIA recently made headlines for grading the statement gem in what has been dubbed the world’s most expensive necklace by the Guinness Book of World Records.

637-carat total weight L’Incomparable diamond necklace.

As reported in a Forbes.com article, the 637-carat total weight L’Incomparable diamond necklace is valued at a staggering $55 million.

According to the article, the 18k rose gold necklace’s centerpiece gem is a 407.48-carat Fancy Deep brownish yellow shield step-cut diamond, which is the largest internally flawless diamond ever graded by GIA. The lavish necklace’s surrounding gemstones are suspended beneath 229.52carats of diamonds that include; 35 rough diamonds, 27 pear-shaped diamonds, nine heart-shaped diamonds, five emerald-cut diamonds, five cushion-cut diamonds, four oval-shaped diamonds, three Asscher-cut diamonds and two radiant-cut diamonds.

GIA graded 407.48-carat Fancy Deep brownish yellow shield step-cut diamond is the center piece diamond.

In 1980, the Incomparable diamond was discovered in a rubble pile by a young girl in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The rubble had not been screened for diamonds because it was deemed too chunky. The diamond weighed 890 carats rough, before it was revealed to the public in its polished state in 1984. It was then displayed at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution and has since appeared in many other museums.

In addition to L’Incomparable, GIA has been entrusted with grading many of the world’s most famous diamonds. The list includes such iconic names such as the Hope (45.52 carats), the Steinmetz Pink (59.60-carats), the Taylor-Burton (69.42-carats), the Allnatt (101.29-carats), the De Beers Millennium Star (203.04-carats), and the Centenary (273.85-carats).

The L’Incomparable necklace features many diamonds in various cuts around the stunning feature stone. Which of these cuts is your favorite?

Images courtesy of Mouawad

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Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep in the earth. This process can result in a variety of internal characteristics called ‘inclusions’ and external characteristics called ‘blemishes.’

Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone. While no diamond is perfectly pure, the closer it comes, the higher its value.

Many inclusions and blemishes are too tiny to be seen by anyone other than a trained diamond grader. To the naked eye, a VS1 and an SI2 diamond may look exactly the same, but these diamonds are quite different in terms of overall quality. This is why expert and accurate assessment of clarity is extremely important.

Have you ever received a 4Cs grading report? Share what you learned about your diamond, and come back next week to read about diamond cut and carat weight.

You can also take a closer look at the Diamond Grading Scales.

Clarity diagrams are for reference only and do not reflect true diamond clarity quality grades. Images are not for clarity diamond grading.

The post Diamond Clarity: The absence of inclusions and blemishes appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

GIA created the 4Cs (Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight) as a universal method for establishing the quality of any diamond, anywhere in the world. The 4Cs means two very important things: diamond quality can be communicated in a universal language, and diamond-buying consumers can know exactly what they are about to purchase.

All diamond images and diagrams are for reference only and may not reflect true diamond quality grade. Images are not for color or clarity diamond grading.

Interested in learning more about how to buy a diamond? Stay tuned for next week’s tutorial on diamond color or check out these great 1-minute videos on the 4Cs: Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight.

The post GIA Diamond Grading Scales: The Universal Measure of Quality appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

In 2011, We’re proud to have introduced a new technology that enables GIA laboratories to daily assess much larger groups of pearls more quickly, and in greater detail, than any previous technology.

A natural pearl occurs as an act of nature, over a long period of time, in oysters, mussels or clams. The ability to consistently generate what was once a rare phenomenon has created a much wider audience for the appreciation and purchase of pearls. But it has also led to confusion about levels of quality and how to determine them. In 1998, we created a standard for pearl grading and terminology, just as we did for diamonds with the 4Cs. You can read more about GIA’s pearl grading here.

We’re excited to continue technological advancement in pearl grading to ensure quality and origin of natural pearls. These new, significant advancements in the pearl testing process feature highly advanced micro-CT X-ray units that produce high-definition 3-D images of individual pearls. We installed the units in April after months of tests and evaluations. These new units enable us to rapidly gain fully rotational 3-D images of the internal growth structures of pearls in just 15 to 20 minutes; older units take 3 to 5 hours or more.

To find our more information, read the official press release on GIA.edu.

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As it turns out, in the New York jewelry district on Maiden Lane, neighboring buildings were painted yellow—and these buildings faced the windows from which dealers judged color in the north daylight! Several dealers said they would need to vacate their offices because of the colors—so they pooled their funds and offered to repaint the offending buildings.

Thanks to John M. King, Ron H. Geurts, Al M. Gilbertson, and James E. Shigley for the story in Color Grading “D-Z” Diamonds at the GIA Laboratory, Gems & Gemology, Vol. 44, No. 4.

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