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GIA 4Cs Diamond Blog

GIA 4Cs Diamond Blog

GIA Diamond Grading Scales: The Universal Measure of Quality

The prospect of purchasing a diamond may seem daunting, but through GIA, an unbiased authority on diamonds, you have several handy resources to help you select the highest quality diamond. First up, an overview of the 4Cs: Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat Weight. (more…)

Interactive Diamond Tool Now Available for Android

Owners of Android phones and tablets like the Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy can now benefit from GIA’s (Gemological Institute of America) free interactive diamond app for consumers and retailers, available in both English and Simplified Chinese. The app engages consumers with interactive features, video content and information on the GIA-created 4Cs (Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight) of diamond quality. (more…)

Aquamarines from Afghanistan
Aquamarine: A Member of the Mineral Species Beryl

As its namesake suggests, the cool blue hues of March’s captivating gemstone are reminiscent of a tranquil sea. Aquamarine crystals can grow in large sizes with excellent clarity. (more…)

Print GIA’s Diamond Buying Guide – 4Cs Guide to Understanding Diamond Quality

Here is a printable diamond buying guide designed to help anyone shopping for a diamond understand the 4Cs of Diamond Quality; Color, Clarity, Cut and carat weight. Print this handy guide and take it with you wherever you need to better understand the 4Cs of diamond quality.

We hope our diamond buying guide will help you navigate and understand the relative quality differences that exist on the color, clarity and cut grading scales. Print this guide and take it with you when you visit your jeweler. 

Updated: GIA report scales have been updated with the newest scales as of December 2019.

Diamond Buying Guide – Part 2

Previously we outlined four basic steps to purchasing a diamond. Today we will expand on our explanation of the 4Cs – the four factors that determine a diamond’s value. (more…)

The GIA Diamond Buying Guide, Part One

Buying a diamond can be a significant purchase both emotionally and financially, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating. This GIA Diamond Buying Guide can help you determine what is the best quality diamond for you. Here are four basic steps to ensure that the journey to find your perfect diamond is as pleasurable as admiring the diamond you finally select.

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Archduke Joseph Diamond: 776.02 Carat D-color diamond, internally flawless cushion cut diamond.
Archduke Joseph Diamond Sells for $21.5 Million

On November 13th, 2012 Christie’s Geneva auctioned one of the world’s most important diamonds, the Archduke Joseph, for $21.5 million. The 76.02 ct, D-color Internally Flawless cushion cut went for more than $280,000 per carat, a new record for colorless diamond. (more…)

Are Diamonds Really Perfect?

It has been said that few things in nature are absolutely perfect. The same holds true of diamonds. Part of what makes a diamond unique is what is commonly referred to as a diamond’s clarity characteristic. (more…)

Are Diamonds Really Colorless?

When browsing for jewelry, one might be captivated by the glimmer of a diamond’s sparkle, and assume that most diamonds are colorless.  And while it’s true that certain  diamonds have colors so blindingly brilliant that they take on beautiful hues of the rainbow, truly colorless diamonds are actually quite rare. (more…)

GIA Diamond Reports
What is the difference between a Diamond Grading Report and an Appraisal?

Purchasing a diamond ring can be overwhelming. After you get through the education process of learning the diamond 4Cs there is still one more piece of the puzzle: understanding the difference between a grading report and an appraisal. (more…)

GIA diamond grading report
How to Submit a Diamond for GIA Grading

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…)

Loose emerald cut diamond.
The Elegant Emerald Cut Diamond

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt made headlines earlier this year when they finally announced their engagement. Soon thereafter, Jolie was spotted wearing an engagement ring that featured a large, Emerald cut diamond center stone. While an Emerald cut center stone is not the traditional look for an engagement ring, non-traditional engagement rings seem to be making news more frequently. (more…)