Perhaps a special piece of diamond jewelry has been passed down to you. It may be a ring or a pendant set with a beautiful gem. Because this item did not come from a jeweler or gemologist, you really have no way of knowing anything about the diamond’s color, clarity, cut or carat weight – those factors that determine quality, and help you decide whether the diamond is worth resetting or leaving it as it came.
GIA Diamond Grading Report
A GIA Diamond Grading Report is ideal for this exact situation. The report is easy to read and provides important information about your stone. First, a GIA Diamond Grading Report will confirm that your stone is in fact a diamond – and not a diamond simulant or diamond synthetic. It will tell you the 4Cs (color, clarity, cut, and carat weight) of your diamond’s quality as well as give you a plotted diagram of its clarity characteristics and a graphic representation of the diamond’s proportions. And while a GIA report does not list monetary value, appraisers will use the report as a basis for determining your diamond’s value should you decide to insure or sell your stone.
People from all over the world send their diamonds to GIA for grading and analysis – and you don’t have to be a jeweler or industry professional to do so. If you’re lucky enough to live in a city where GIA has a laboratory, you can walk in and request the service in person. If this is not an option, your best bet is to find a reputable jeweler who carries GIA-graded diamonds or has GIA-trained associates on staff, and request them to submit the stone on your behalf. While you can certainly send your diamond to GIA on your own, the complexities of packaging, shipping and insuring items of high value are best handled by people who do this regularly.
Another reason to submit your diamond through a jeweler is that the diamond will have to be removed from its setting prior to being sent to GIA, since GIA Diamond Grading Reports are only issued for unmounted stones.
