Accurately grading diamonds plays a crucial role in the diamond and jewelry world. Furthermore, the phenomenon of over grading diamonds is harmful to the jewelry and diamond industry. This occurrence directly and negatively affects the consumer by misleading them on the actual value and appraisal of the diamond in question. The bottom line is that over grading hurts consumer confidence. It is unethical to sell a diamond as a G color when the actual color is an I color. Furthermore, it is unethical to sell a diamond that is an I1 clarity as an SI2. Consumers put their confidence into their jewelers and diamond dealers and expect them to be honest and ethical; many consumers do not understand the nuances of color
Consumers put their faith into their jewelers and diamond dealers and expect them to be honest and ethical; many consumers do not understand the nuances of color grading or the differences in grading standards between the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and their counterparts.
Being that this is the case, unethical retailers oversell their overrated products, resulting in more profit. The obvious negative ramifications of over grading and misrepresenting diamond quality to hundreds of thousands of consumers are clear; the damage to the diamond industry by the establishment, acceptance, and support of a culture that promotes systematic misrepresentation of diamond quality of the outright cheating of consumers destroy the diamond trade from within Accurately Grading Diamonds preserves the trade and keeps it ethical, which is the essential to good industry practice.
The Gemological Institute of America created its gemological standards and related terminology in 1953 and began issuing grading diamond reports in 1955. Since then it has continuously and consistently supported it standards by issuing grading diamond reports for millions of diamonds. The GIA standard for grading is accepted by the international trade and the legal systems of the United States and many other countries. Some grading companies claim that there is no standard for "grading diamonds." This cannot be further than the truth.
There is already a standard for grading in the diamond industry, and that is the GIA standard, to suggest otherwise is simply untrue. The false claim that there are no grading standards is a frontal attack on the very foundation of our industry. It is an attempt to destroy the language of our trade and life's work. Great people like the Gemological Institute of America's (GIA) pioneers like Richard Liddicoat. As well as others who have created a standard for grading diamonds that honest people live by. Accurately grading diamonds is paramount to keeping pioneers of the industry's legacy preserved.
Accurately grading diamonds is subjective, that is true, but within reason. One diamond grader could potentially see an E color as a F color. While the another could potentially see the E color as a D, this is reasonable. However, GIA uses a technique in which their peers are constantly checking graders. So a consensus is reached within the laboratory to achieve the most fitting grade. Furthermore, GIA grades down. For example, if a diamond is suspected of being a D color, but a general consensus is not able to be reached, the grade of the diamond color is graded down to an E color.
The systematic grading of a diamond buying multiple gemologist yield diamond grading results that are almost always consistent within one color or one clarity range. At the very most, in rare, exceptional circumstances, there might be an error with a gemological difference of two colors or two clarities in any case, when using G.I.A. standards. There is no justification for the consistent over grading diamonds by more than one color or more than one clarity grade.
It is imperative that sales people make full disclosures with regards to the standards of grading diamonds. For example, it would be unethical to say that GIA and EGL share the same criteria when grading diamonds. That is an incorrect notion. The use and abuse of GIA terminology and other diamond grading laboratories are not comparable. There must be an honest communication about the extent of over grading diamonds. One must realize that while the GIA grading system is not perfect or all inclusive. However, it is the standard that one should use when using GIA terminology when grading diamonds.
GIA certified diamonds are the most accurately graded diamond on the market.http://www.gia.edu/gem-lab-service/diamond-grading