By Ellen Fruchtman, President
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) recently announced a significant change in how it will report on lab-grown diamonds starting later this year. While the news isn’t necessarily front-page material for your customers (yet), it should be on your radar.
Here’s the short version: GIA is not stopping its lab-grown grading. It will still identify the diamond as lab-grown and evaluate its color, clarity, and finish. However, instead of assigning traditional 4Cs grades, GIA will now place qualifying stones into one of two broad categories: “premium” or “standard.”
If the diamond doesn’t meet GIA’s minimum threshold for quality, it won’t receive a grade at all.
This is not something your team needs to dive into technically, unless a customer specifically asks. Most customers won’t, but your staff should be aware that this change is coming and be able to explain it at a high level. A simple, confident explanation will go a long way if a question arises.
More importantly, if your website features lab-grown diamonds that reference GIA grading using traditional terms (such as D color or VS clarity), those descriptions may need to be revisited. The same applies to in-store signage or materials, educational content, FAQ pages, and any social media posts that mention GIA and the 4Cs concerning lab-grown diamonds.
One additional note: This change applies only to GIA. Other grading labs, such as IGI, GCAL, and EGL USA, may continue to use traditional 4Cs grading for lab-grown diamonds. So, if your store or site references multiple grading reports, be sure it’s clear which lab’s report applies to which diamond.
GIA is simplifying how it communicates quality for lab-grown diamonds. As this shift rolls out, your messaging online and in-store should follow suit.
You can read more about the change in National Jeweler’s article here.
You can also read our recent Fruchtman POV article regarding this change here.
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