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GIA 4Cs Diamond Blog

The History of GIA and the 4Cs of Diamond Quality – Part 1

September 25, 2012

Part 1 – An Industry without Standards or Formal Education

Though diamonds and other gemstones have been collected and coveted for many centuries, it has taken almost as long for diamond cutters and jewelers to learn how to reveal a gemstone’s inner beauty.

As early as the 1300s, European stone cutters were changing crystals by polishing their faces so that no natural irregularities of the original crystal remained. While this type of polishing and cutting did allow light to reflect off the outer surface, the fire and brilliance remained hidden inside. Small changes introduced over the next few centuries made diamonds more interesting, but still hid the potential of diamonds to return light as we know it today. (more…)

How to Submit a Diamond for GIA Grading

July 28, 2012

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. (more…)

Is Jewelry and Gems the Career for You?

March 3, 2011

Sometimes the search for the perfect diamond grows into something deeper—a lasting interest in the jewelry and gems. If that’s happened to you, discover how GIA can guide your path toward a Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) or Accredited Jewelry Professional (A.J.P.) diploma, courses in gemology and jewelry arts, and a career in the industry. (more…)

The Circle of Life–Gems and Jewels Style

December 10, 2010

My grandfather was a client of GIA’s back in the 50s and early 60s. He died only a few years after I was born, but at his company in Long Island City, New York, where both my mother and father continued to work, I grew up surrounded by the tools of an amateur gemologist—which only stopped gathering dust when my sister and I handled them (secretly, so mom wouldn’t yell). (more…)