With fears mounting about undisclosed synthetic diamonds in the marketplace, especially with regards to smaller stones, the Gemological Institute of America’s grading lab is instituting a new low-cost identification option for diamonds 0.20 cts. and smaller.

The new GIA Diamond Quality Assurance service, designed to randomly screen parcels of small diamonds, combines screening for synthetics with color treatment detection. This service, costing $12 per stone, examines D-to-Z diamonds and colored diamonds up to 0.20 cts., and black diamonds up to 0.50 cts.

After examining the stone, GIA will issue a statement indicating that the stone is either lab-grown or natural, and, if natural, whether any permanent color treatments have been applied. GIA will accept both mounted and loose stones for examination—although it notes that mounted stones are more difficult to examine and it may be necessary to remove diamonds from the setting for testing.

The cost for a Diamond Dossier grading report, which also includes grades for the Four C’s, has also been reduced by 10 percent for stones 0.29 carats and smaller. 

The new and lower-cost services will be available as of July 1.

All stones submitted for GIA grading and identification services will continue to be screened for synthetics and treatments as part of the grading process.

More information on GIA reports and fees is available here.

JCK