Gia changes in September

[free-user]

I'm just a normal consumer...I just got off the phone with a jeweler that was obviously pushing me to buy a 4c gia LGD.

He explained, that when September rolls around, gia will now grade all LGD and natural diamonds without stating that fact in the certificate.

It got me thinking, when I was searching for lgd like 90% were from igi. Gias' were not populating very often.

So what's gias gain if any from changing such a long standing system? Financial??? Are they gonna start pumping out more lgd?

I'm just speculating here as a consumer, wouldn't this hurt gia as their certs have a premium tag vs something like igi? Just seems counterintuitive????

 

[DejaWiz]

There are a couple great discussions going on in other threads about this very thing.
My guess is that GIA is throwing a massive bone to the faltering natural/earth grown segment.

 

[Karl_K]

He explained, that when September rolls around, gia will now grade all LGD and natural diamonds without stating that fact in the certificate.

That is 100% false, they will be clearly marked as lab.
What GIA is doing is refusing to use the standard diamond grading system(d-z.fancy color,FL-i3) on lab diamonds.

 

[Karl_K]

It got me thinking, when I was searching for lgd like 90% were from igi. Gias' were not populating very often.

IGI is cheaper and faster for the trade and provide much more consumer protection than GIA because they disclose treatments and manufacturing method.
I did some work for IGI developing the round diamond cut grading scale. They have a lot of people there that really care about consumer protection.

GIA hiding treatments and type has made them a real problem for consumers expecting a GIA graded diamond to be acceptable.
I pretty much just dont bother with them when searching for a lab diamond unless I know the vendor.
I was challenged the other day to change my opinion, 3 out of the first 5 stones I looked at had clear as day bad crystal/transparency issues.
1 had some issues but was ok.
The other 1 was superbly cut and very clean.
Those 5 were about a 1/3rd of the total search results for my criteria.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I'm just a normal consumer...I just got off the phone with a jeweler that was obviously pushing me to buy a 4c gia LGD.

He explained, that when September rolls around, gia will now grade all LGD and natural diamonds without stating that fact in the certificate.

It got me thinking, when I was searching for lgd like 90% were from igi. Gias' were not populating very often.

So what's gias gain if any from changing such a long standing system? Financial??? Are they gonna start pumping out more lgd?

I'm just speculating here as a consumer, wouldn't this hurt gia as their certs have a premium tag vs something like igi? Just seems counterintuitive????

To be clear, what GIA announced is that they will discontinue putting a color and clarity grade on lab grown diamonds. Instead they will use general descriptors like "premium" and "standard" quality. The reasoning (in part) is that most of the production of lab diamonds today is in the very upper reaches of color and clarity anyway. They did not specify September as the month the change will take place, rather indicating sometime toward the end of the year.

This change will not impact GIA's grading of natural diamonds.