GIA

GIA - The Gemological Institute of America

The Gemological Institute of America is also known simply as GIA.  They are the foremost authority on gem and diamond grading in the world today.  GIA introduced its D-Z grading system for white diamonds in 1953.  Before that, diamond dealers worldwide used terms like River, First Water, Jager, Top Wesselton and Cape to describe their diamonds.  In other words, there was no reliable set system in place to describe the color,  clarity, and cut of diamonds. By using the grading criteria Gemological Institute pioneered, the diamond business has become more reliable to the trade.  Also, they have made appraisals more accurate especially with respect to value.  For example, because it was a very imprecise science one person could evaluate as an F color, and another person grading the same diamond, as an G color.  Naturally, this led to many disputes over grading.  Which in turn led to greater disparity when evaluating a diamond for value.  Beny Sofer, of New York Cit's Beny Sofer Inc., explains, "we used to sit in the Diamond Dealers Club and fight each other over grades."

GIA and Richard Liddicoat

According to the Vice President and chief laboratory officer at the Gemological Institute of America, Tom Moses. "Richard Liddicoat was working on this at the time most diamond dealers referred to colors as A, then AA, the AAA, etc., Liddicoat wanted to create something that was objective.  He worked with the industry to establish the increments, selecting the master stones and setting the color scale. That scale was used primarily for gemology students learning how to grading diamonds until the early 1960s.  In late 1950s and early 1960s, more dealers were coming to the GIA, asking the lab to apply the D to Z grading system it was using in the classroom to their stones.  The GIA's color grading scheme was you falling into a valuable tool for dealers.  If the old term River referred to any stone between DNS they want to know, 'Is my stone a D or an E or and F?'" In the late 1950s and early 1960s, more dealers were coming to the GIA, asking the lab to apply the D to Z grading system it was using in the classroom to their stones.  The GIA's color grading scheme was you falling into a valuable tool for dealers.  If the old term River referred to any stone between DNS they want to know, 'Is my stone a D or an E or an F?'"

GIA and Developing a Grading System

In time, the Gemological Institute of America's grading system proved to be the most superior diamond grading system available as it set a precedent for grading criteria.  Furthermore, the GIA system became popular because of its user friendly alphabet nomenclature as well as its ability to grade diamonds consistently with respect to its grading criteria.  GIA itself sought to create the fairest and most specific and well-defined system possible and that is why GIA is known to be the foremost authority on gem and diamond grading today.  It should be noted, that GIA is a non-profit organization, being so allows the company to maintain bias free grading. There are other organizations that grade and appraise gems and diamonds asides from GIA.  Names like the European Gemological Institute (EGL) as well as the American Gem Society (AGS). However, these certificates have much less prestige and recognition than GIA.  In 1966, the American Gem Society created a numerical system with regards to its color grading scale; for example, AGS the color grade D would be equivalent to the numeral 0.

GIA in 1975

In 1975, two prominent industry organizations, the World Federation of Diamond Bourses also known as WFDB and the International Diamond Manufacturers' Association also known as IDMA, created be International Diamond Council.  That was to create a set of universally accepted standards of nomenclature for the polished diamond industry.  However, the terms of the Council did not serve to clarify or defined diamonds.  As it used the vague terminology such as "exceptional light, rare white, white, slightly tinted white" and so on. GIA's diamond grading system has evolved throughout the years.  In the 1930s the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and work in conjunction with the American Gem Society (AGS) to formulate a grading system.  This grading system was different because it started with the letter D as opposed to A. Therefore, the pioneer of the diamond grading system, Richard T. Liddicoat decided it would be best for the industry to start at the letter D.  This was an effort to avoid confusion, and furthermore, to introduce a brand new system to the diamond industry.  It was at this point the D-Z color grading system became popular and soon the standard. The purpose of a universal grading system is to set a standard uniform environment.  Thus ensuring that the results are accurate and dependable. Diamond Demand http://www.lumeradiamonds.com/diamond-education/index https://www.gemologyonline.com/diamondgrading.html