GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, will launch redesigned colored stone reports and new services on January 1, 2026. The new reports will feature an elevated design for enhanced storytelling, and expanded origin-determination services.
New Look and More Information
“The new colored stone reports will highlight the most relevant gemological information, making it easy for the trade and consumers to grasp the unique characteristics that bring each gem’s story to life.”
Expanding the List
There is a small but steadily growing list of colored gemstones for which GIA offers country-of-origin. This week, they’re adding three more: demantoid garnet, opal, and peridot — bringing the total to eleven.
GIA will now offer origin-determination services for the following 11 gems:
Alexandrite
Demantoid Garnet
Emerald
Opal
Peridot
Paraíba Tourmaline
Red Spinel
Ruby
Sapphire
… and untreated Jadeite Jade and Omphacite Jade from Myanmar (Burma) or Guatemala.
Strong Research
“Our expanded services are based on GIA’s extensive research and collection of 32,000 samples collected by GIA field gemologists,” said Shane McClure, Global Director of Colored Stone Services.
“The Institute started colored stone reporting more than 75 years ago, and, since then, researchers and gemologists across our laboratories have developed an industry-leading knowledge. This expertise, as well as GIA’s decades-long commitment to research, underpin our report results.”
Q&A
We reached out to Shane McClure to ask whether GIA has a list of potential origin countries for each of the gems listed above, similar to what they’ve stated for jadeite, identifying possible sources such as Myanmar or Guatemala. Could opal, for example, be identified as originating from Australia, Ethiopia, Brazil, or Mexico? Are all of these countries on the list for opal, for example?
“We try to determine origin for as many commercially viable sources as we can for each gem species,” states McClure. “For jade, we initially specified Burma and Guatemala because those origins are the primary concerns of the industry. Jade research continues, and at some point, the sources we can test will expand.”
So yes — GIA is essentially expanding the scope of their country-of-origin services for colored stones. It may not read like a giant leap to add only three more gems to the list, but for GIA (or for any lab, really) to stick their gemological neck out and assign country-of-origin — even for one gem variety or gem species — represents a significant amount of research, data, and confidence in their work behind the scenes. The trade will most certainly appreciate it; people want stones with known, documented origins.
And with De Beers pushing forward on Origins for diamonds, GIA expanding its colored stone origin capabilities feels like a well-timed parallel movement.
Report Fees
GIA will also revise the weight categories and related fees for colored stone submissions. Details of the new weight and fee structure will be available on GIA.edu on January 1, 2026. The new weight categories and fees will apply to items submitted on or after January 1, 2026. Those items will receive the newly redesigned reports.
Tap here for more information about GIA Laboratory Services
