“Change reflects narrow color and clarity range of the manufactured product“
In a move that feels both obvious and, at the same time, curious—not to mention, not without questions—the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has announced it will once again revise how it describes synthetic diamonds on its grading reports – eliminating color and clarity grades.
This latest change, set to take effect later this year, marks a significant departure from GIA’s current practice of using the color and clarity nomenclature originally developed for natural diamonds.
Why the Change?
Gary Roskin
Roskin Gem News Report
Rarity Matters
The primary purpose of clarity and color grades on diamond grading reports is to communicate rarity. Yes, those grades affect a diamond’s appearance—but they also indicate how uncommon certain qualities are.
For instance, the difference between a D and E color, or between Internally Flawless and VVS1 clarity, is not easily seen without magnification and gemological training. Still, those distinctions carry real weight in valuation because of their rarity.
In the world of synthetic diamonds, however, that sense of rarity largely disappears. Synthetic/lab-grown diamonds, produced in large quantities in factories around the world, frequently exhibit high color and clarity. As a result, those traits are neither scarce nor particularly meaningful from a rarity standpoint.
Hence the question, so why make a distinction?
The Announcement
According to GIA’s June 2 press release, the Institute will soon adopt a simplified classification system for synthetic diamonds, using just two categories: “premium” and “standard.” These descriptors will reflect a combination of color, clarity, and finish metrics.
Stones that do not meet the threshold for “standard” will still be identified as “lab-grown” but will not receive a quality designation.
GIA says the shift is meant to improve consumer understanding. “More than 95% of laboratory-grown diamonds entering the market fall into a very narrow range of color and clarity,” said Tom Moses, GIA’s executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer. “Because of that, it is no longer relevant for GIA to describe man-made diamonds using the nomenclature created for the continuum of color and clarity of natural diamonds.”
Is That the Only Reason?
One lingering question: Is this change also a response to growing concerns about report misuse?
In recent years, as covered here in the Roskin Gem News Report, we’ve seen synthetic diamonds paired with GIA grading reports originally issued for natural diamonds. Because current lab-grown reports include full color and clarity grades, an unscrupulous party could better match a synthetic stone to a natural diamond report—misleading consumers.
By eliminating detailed grades from lab-grown reports, GIA may be closing off this avenue for deception. Whether that’s part of the Institute’s intent is unknown—but it certainly adds weight to the latest change in policy.
What Will the New Reports Look Like?
Just as unclear is how the new reports will be presented. Will they still resemble GIA’s natural diamond grading reports, or will they look more like simplified synthetic colored gemstone reports?
What is the Price for such a Report?
Perhaps even more importantly, will these new synthetic diamond grading reports cost less?
With the price of synthetic/lab-grown diamonds continuing to decline, the current cost of a full GIA diamond grading report can sometimes exceed the profit margin on the stone itself. A lower-cost alternative could make grading more feasible for many in the trade.
GIA has said only that pricing and submission details will be announced in the third quarter.
An Evolving Diamond Industry Landscape
GIA’s evolving position mirrors a broader shift in how the industry views synthetic/laboratory-grown diamonds.
Whether this new grading policy will “improve consumer understanding” or not, remains to be seen.
For now, GIA will continue offering its current lab-grown diamond grading services until the new terminology takes effect. Existing reports remain valid.
Tap here for more on GIA Diamond Grading at GIA.edu
