Gemological Institute of America
Encyclopedia
The Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, is a nonprofit institute dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. Founded in 1931, GIA's mission is to protect all buyers and sellers of gemstones by setting and maintaining the standards used to evaluate gemstone quality. The institute does so through research, gem identification and diamond grading services and a variety of educational programs. Through its world-renowned library and subject experts, GIA acts as a resource of gem and jewelry information for the trade, the public and worldwide media outlets.
In the 1940s and 1950s, GIA developed its International Diamond Grading System and the Four Cs (cut, clarity, color, and carat weight) as a standard to compare and evaluate the quality of diamonds.
Today, the institute is headquartered in Carlsbad, California
and operates out of 14 countries, with 12 campuses, seven laboratories and four research centers worldwide.
Since the 1930s, GIA has made numerous breakthroughs in the understanding of gems. These include:
s). GIA was also responsible for the first modern diamond grading reports, where it introduced grading methodologies for diamond color
and diamond clarity
. Today, these scales and methods are the standard within the gem trade for characterization of diamonds.
Current research at gemological laboratories concerns the development of improved detection techniques for treated and synthetic diamond
s, as well as for treated sapphire
s, rubies
, and pearls.
are located in the diamond. Diamond grading reports are now demanded by most consumers purchasing diamonds over a certain size, typically for over 0.5 carat (100 mg), and almost always for over 1.0 carat (200 mg), and are considered an important tool in guaranteeing that a diamond is accurately represented to a potential buyer.
GIA colored stone identification reports may include a comment about any treatments detected and an opinion of country of origin for ruby
, sapphire
, emerald
and tourmaline
. Pearl
reports specify the weight, size, shape, color, origin (natural or cultured) and presence of treatments.
The Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) diploma offers a comprehensive education in gemology. The six-month program consists of three diplomas: Graduate Diamonds, Graduate Colored Stones and Accredited Jewelry Professional, which can also be taken independently. The Graduate Pearls diploma program provides a comprehensive foundation in pearl identification and grading.
Additionally, GIA's Carlsbad campus offers two six-month programs in jewelry arts. The Applied Jewelry Arts Program (AJA) diploma covers jewelry design, wax carving, mold making, casting and CAD/CAM. The Graduate Jeweler diploma program teaches the fabrication, repair and stone setting skills to become a professional bench jeweler. Other jewelry arts classes are held on campus in Carlsbad and New York.
GIA's Carlsbad and New York on-campus courses are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). Its Distance Education courses are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).
GIA Diploma Programs and courses include:
GIA also exists to educate the gem and jewelry industry and the general public through its publications and outreach efforts. Most notable of these efforts is the quarterly publication of the magazine Gems & Gemology
, a respected journal
in the field. The journal includes full-length feature articles, as well as reports on GIA research, abstracts of relevant articles from other journals, book reviews, and industry news from around the world.
Gemological Library and Information Center, located at GIA’s headquarters in Carlsbad, California, is the premier resource for gemological knowledge. It houses a growing collection of 38,000 books, 700 international magazines and journals (with current subscriptions to 225 titles), 1,000 videos/DVDs, 80,000 digital images, 300 maps, and approximately 6,000 original jewelry design renderings.
The collection contains works published from 1496 to the present, encompassing the history and modern development of gemology. Subjects include natural and synthetic gemstones, gem treatments, jewelry design, manufacturing, and marketing.
The Liddicoat Library is open to the public and the jewelry trade for on-campus research. The library catalog and other resources are available through the website. A reference staff with gemological expertise is on hand to answer questions and may be contacted by e-mail or telephone.
The first GIA instrument, a 10x eye loupe, was introduced in the early 1930s. Darkfield illumination, a lighting technique that makes gem inclusions easily visible in the microscope, was patented later that decade by Robert M. Shipley, Jr., the son of GIA’s founder and an important figure in gemological instrumentation.
In addition to basic jeweler’s tools such as loupes, tweezers, and gem cloths, the GIA Instruments product catalog includes sophisticated instruments ranging from microscopes to spectroscopes.
There are also a number of laboratories affiliated to CIBJO
.
In the 1940s and 1950s, GIA developed its International Diamond Grading System and the Four Cs (cut, clarity, color, and carat weight) as a standard to compare and evaluate the quality of diamonds.
Today, the institute is headquartered in Carlsbad, California
Carlsbad, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
and operates out of 14 countries, with 12 campuses, seven laboratories and four research centers worldwide.
History
On February 15, 1931, retail jeweler Robert M. Shipley cashed in his savings to establish the Gemological Institute of America. Because most jewelers of that time knew little about the gems they trade, Shipley sought to professionalize the industry through education, research and gemological instrumentation. The fledgling institute, operated out of the Shipleys' home in Los Angeles, offered mail-order courses and gem testing services.Since the 1930s, GIA has made numerous breakthroughs in the understanding of gems. These include:
- creating the D to Z color scale and the Flawless to I3 clarity scale for diamonds, the internationally recognized standards for evaluating diamond quality (1953)
- detecting irradiated yellow diamonds (1956)
- determining the color of black cultured pearls to be natural (1961)
- the first gemological study of tanzanite (1968)
- the first report on faceted synthetic diamonds (1971)
- detecting diamonds decolorized by high-pressure/high-temperature (HPHT) treatment (1999)
- detecting chemical vapor deposition (CVD) gem-quality synthetic diamonds (2003)
Research
GIA is actively engaged in research to advance the science of gemology. Historically, research has focused on developing methods and technologies to accurately identify and characterize gems. This research has produced significant advances in the ability to differentiate gems and identify simulants (particularly diamond simulantDiamond simulant
The high price of gem-grade diamonds, as well as significant ethical concerns of the diamond trade, have created a large demand for materials with similar gemological characteristics, known as diamond simulants or imitations. Simulants are distinct from synthetic diamond, which unlike simulants is...
s). GIA was also responsible for the first modern diamond grading reports, where it introduced grading methodologies for diamond color
Diamond color
A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond is perfectly transparent with no hue, or color. However, in reality almost no gem-sized natural diamonds are absolutely perfect. The color of a diamond may be affected by chemical impurities and/or structural defects in the crystal lattice...
and diamond clarity
Diamond clarity
Diamond clarity is a quality of diamonds relating to the existence and visual appearance of internal characteristics of a diamond called inclusions, and surface defects called blemishes. Clarity is one of the four Cs of diamond grading, the others being carat, color, and cut...
. Today, these scales and methods are the standard within the gem trade for characterization of diamonds.
Current research at gemological laboratories concerns the development of improved detection techniques for treated and synthetic diamond
Synthetic diamond
Synthetic diamond is diamond produced in a technological process; as opposed to natural diamond, which is created in geological processes. Synthetic diamond is also widely known as HPHT diamond or CVD diamond, denoting the production method, High-Pressure High-Temperature synthesis and Chemical...
s, as well as for treated sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
s, rubies
Ruby
A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...
, and pearls.
Laboratory Services
The GIA Laboratory provides a variety of gem grading and identification reports. Diamond grading reports for unmounted natural and synthetic diamonds determine their key characteristics: color, clarity, cut and carat weight. GIA issues two types of reports, the more complete being the Diamond Grading Report (a briefer and less expensive version is called a Diamond Dossier). The reports contain a number of measurements, including of carat weight as well as a diagram of where and what types of inclusionsDiamond clarity
Diamond clarity is a quality of diamonds relating to the existence and visual appearance of internal characteristics of a diamond called inclusions, and surface defects called blemishes. Clarity is one of the four Cs of diamond grading, the others being carat, color, and cut...
are located in the diamond. Diamond grading reports are now demanded by most consumers purchasing diamonds over a certain size, typically for over 0.5 carat (100 mg), and almost always for over 1.0 carat (200 mg), and are considered an important tool in guaranteeing that a diamond is accurately represented to a potential buyer.
GIA colored stone identification reports may include a comment about any treatments detected and an opinion of country of origin for ruby
Ruby
A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...
, sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
, emerald
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
and tourmaline
Tourmaline
Tourmaline is a crystal boron silicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Tourmaline is classified as a semi-precious stone and the gem comes in a wide variety of colors...
. Pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
reports specify the weight, size, shape, color, origin (natural or cultured) and presence of treatments.
Education
GIA offers several programs and courses online through an interactive eLearning format, and through its 12 campus locations around the world. The institute also offers corporate training programs and works with trade organizations worldwide to provide technical training in gemstones and jewelry.The Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) diploma offers a comprehensive education in gemology. The six-month program consists of three diplomas: Graduate Diamonds, Graduate Colored Stones and Accredited Jewelry Professional, which can also be taken independently. The Graduate Pearls diploma program provides a comprehensive foundation in pearl identification and grading.
Additionally, GIA's Carlsbad campus offers two six-month programs in jewelry arts. The Applied Jewelry Arts Program (AJA) diploma covers jewelry design, wax carving, mold making, casting and CAD/CAM. The Graduate Jeweler diploma program teaches the fabrication, repair and stone setting skills to become a professional bench jeweler. Other jewelry arts classes are held on campus in Carlsbad and New York.
GIA's Carlsbad and New York on-campus courses are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). Its Distance Education courses are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).
GIA Diploma Programs and courses include:
- Graduate Gemologist
- Graduate Diamonds
- Graduate Colored Stones
- Graduate Pearls
- Accredited Jewelry Professional
- Applied Jewelry Arts
- Graduate Jeweler
- Jewelry Design Course
- Comprehensive CAD/CAM for Jewelry Course
GIA also exists to educate the gem and jewelry industry and the general public through its publications and outreach efforts. Most notable of these efforts is the quarterly publication of the magazine Gems & Gemology
Gems & Gemology
Gems & Gemology is a quarterly scientific journal published by the Gemological Institute of America. Each issue is devoted to research on diamonds, gemstones, and pearls. Topics include geographic sources, imitations and synthetics, treatments, and identification techniques...
, a respected journal
Academic publishing
Academic publishing describes the subfield of publishing which distributes academic research and scholarship. Most academic work is published in journal article, book or thesis form. The part of academic written output that is not formally published but merely printed up or posted is often called...
in the field. The journal includes full-length feature articles, as well as reports on GIA research, abstracts of relevant articles from other journals, book reviews, and industry news from around the world.
Library and Information Center
The Richard T. LiddicoatRichard T. Liddicoat
Richard T. Liddicoat"Father of Gemology"-Timeline:* March 2, 1918 Born in Kearsage, Michigan to Richard T. and Carmen Beryl Liddicoat.* June 28, 1940 Joins the staff of GIA as assistant director of education...
Gemological Library and Information Center, located at GIA’s headquarters in Carlsbad, California, is the premier resource for gemological knowledge. It houses a growing collection of 38,000 books, 700 international magazines and journals (with current subscriptions to 225 titles), 1,000 videos/DVDs, 80,000 digital images, 300 maps, and approximately 6,000 original jewelry design renderings.
The collection contains works published from 1496 to the present, encompassing the history and modern development of gemology. Subjects include natural and synthetic gemstones, gem treatments, jewelry design, manufacturing, and marketing.
The Liddicoat Library is open to the public and the jewelry trade for on-campus research. The library catalog and other resources are available through the website. A reference staff with gemological expertise is on hand to answer questions and may be contacted by e-mail or telephone.
GIA Instruments
GIA also designs and manufactures professional equipment for grading, identifying, and selling diamonds and colored gemstones. These instruments are used to determine the physical and optical properties of gems and analyze their microscopic features.The first GIA instrument, a 10x eye loupe, was introduced in the early 1930s. Darkfield illumination, a lighting technique that makes gem inclusions easily visible in the microscope, was patented later that decade by Robert M. Shipley, Jr., the son of GIA’s founder and an important figure in gemological instrumentation.
In addition to basic jeweler’s tools such as loupes, tweezers, and gem cloths, the GIA Instruments product catalog includes sophisticated instruments ranging from microscopes to spectroscopes.
Competitors
GIA has several competitors in providing diamond grading reports and gemology training:- The Gemmological Association of Great BritainGemmological Association of Great BritainThe Gemmological Association of Great Britain, also known as Gem-A, is an international gemmology education and qualifications body based in the UK.-History:...
, also known as Gem-A, is an international gemmology education and qualifications body based in the UK. It was founded in 1908 and its first American graduate was GIA founder Robert M. Shipley in 1929. - The Hoge Raad voor de Diamant (HRD Antwerp), which means Diamond High Council, is Europe's counterpart to the GIA. HRD is popular in the Far East and Europe where its reports are legal documents recognized by the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. - The International Gemological InstituteInternational Gemological InstituteInternational Gemological Institute is a diamond, colored stone and jewelry certification organization. IGI is headquartered in Antwerp and has offices in New York City, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Bangkok, Tokyo, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Los Angeles, Kolkata, New Delhi, Surat, Chennai, Thrissur,...
(IGI), IGI is a competitor of GIA. - The International School of GemologyInternational School of GemologyThe International School of Gemology , founded in 2004 by Robert James FGA, GG, started as an Allied Gem Tutorial centre for the Gemmological Association of Great Britain...
(ISG) offers gemology courses including the RG and RGA as alternatives to the GIA's GG diplomas. - The European Gemological Laboratory (EGL).
- The American Gemological Society (AGS), the AGS has traditionally focused on providing a cut grade which the industry was lacking in order to market higher end merchandise. The AGS is headquartered in Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. - The Gemmology Institute of Southern Africa (GISA), GISA is a competitor of GIA, predominantly in South Africa.
There are also a number of laboratories affiliated to CIBJO
CIBJO
The CIBJO , also known as the World Jewellery Confederation, is an international confederation of jewellery, gemstone, horology, and silverware trade organisations...
.