GIA Certificate Explained: What You Need to Know
The leading certification and authentication authority, the GIA, has made a significant change in regards to authenticating Color Diamond certificates, which can be provided for all colors such as Blue, Green, Red, or Yellow Diamonds. All GIA certificates, including identification and origin reports (Color only certificates) can now be checked online and verify the authenticity of the GIA certificates.
Types of GIA Certifications for Colored Diamonds
How to check GIA certificate online?
Up until recently, one was only able to verify the authenticity of a full diamond grading report online in the GIA website. However, this change now enables any natural fancy colored diamond GIA report, regardless of the type of report requested, to be authenticated. It can be checked here.
The Colored Diamond Grading Report
The colored diamond grading report, acknowledged as a full GIA diamond certificate, provides all the relevant details for natural colored diamonds weighing 0.15 carats or more, ensuring a full quality assessment.
The full GIA diamond certificate includes the following data:
- Date the report is issued
- Report Number
- Laser Inscription Registry (if requested)
- Shape and Cutting Style
- Measurements
- Color Origin (natural or treated)
- Color Grade (hue and fancy color grade)
- Color Distribution (even of uneven color)
- Clarity Guide (according to the GIA Clarity Scale)
- Finish (quality of surface condition as well as information re the facets)
- Polish (overall condition of surface)
- Symmetry (exactness of diamond’s outline as well as further information re the facets)
- Fluorescence (strength and fluorescence color of the diamond)
- Plotting Diagram (approximates shape and cutting style of stone)
- Key to Symbols, GIA Clarity Scale, GIA Colored Diamond Scale, Proportion Diagram, and Security Features (of report to ensure authenticity). As an optional service, a full color image of the diamond may also be included.
The full GIA diamond certificate on the left and a half GIA diamond certificate on the right |
Colored Diamond Identification and Origin Report
As mentioned above, the GIA also offers a second report. It is called the Colored Diamond Identification and Origin Report (A.K.A "Color Only" certificate). This diamond certificate is just as valid, but offers less information. It focuses only on the color grade and the Origin of a colored diamond and lists the following data. The report is divided into the following sections:
- General Information
- Grading Results
- Additional Grading Information
- Reference Diagrams
- Scale References
- Bar Code, Disclaimer, and Security Features
When to Choose The Diamond Identification and Origin Report
A full GIA certificate is always preferable. However, if the clarity level of a diamond were low, it would be wise to request a half certificate, since it is far less expensive and will keep the price of the diamond down.
Full certificates include clarity grades, explanations regarding the cuts, polish, symmetry, fluorescence, and other important information. The half certificate on the other hand does not list any of this information, and simply supplies the diamond’s weight, origin, color grade and distribution, measurements, and shape and cutting style.
Both certificate types allow you to verify diamond authenticity via the GIA website's "Report Check" feature. Simply input the GIA certification number to ensure it matches the GIA report database.
LEIBISH recognizes the importance of verifying the authentication of each GIA graded diamond, therefore offers this feature directly in the diamond details of each GIA graded stone listed online.
LEIBISH offers the ability to verify the authenticity of all GIA diamond certificates through the diamond details on each GIA graded diamond listed |
Cost of GIA certification
The cost of the certificate changes and there is a price list that includes all the details. It is calculated according to the weight, color of the stone (white of color), and more parameters. It also depends on whether you need a laser inscription and a half or full certificate.
The GIA is the most esteemed organization for certifying and grading diamonds and gemstones. Since its establishment in 1931, it has been the number one destination for any certification-related issue. Needless to say, stones with the desirable GIA certification are more valuable, sought after, and preferred. If you're wondering about the cost of GIA certification or how much it costs to get a GIA certification of colored diamonds, you can find more information here.
FAQ
Are all diamonds GIA-certified?
How to check if a GIA certificate is real?
How to spot a fake GIA certificate?
Spotting a fake GIA certificate can be challenging but not impossible. One effective method is to utilize the GIA Report Check tool, which allows you to perform a diamond certificate check by entering the GIA number on the certificate. If the information provided by the GIA report lookup does not match the details on the certificate or if the report is not found in the GIA database, it could indicate that the certificate is fake. Always ensure to search diamonds by GIA number for added security and authenticity.Explore our diamonds for investment and our diamond collection.