27 June, 2014: The Gemmological Institute of America (GIA), creators of the four famous parameters which regulate diamond grading worldwide, have recently managed to improve on their own handiwork, a leading jewellery publication reported.
The improvements to the GIA’s process will be a huge boost for businesses, from larger high-street jewellers to smaller independent businesses such as Keith Gordon Jewellers, who pride themselves on finding the perfect diamond to suit the wearer. The laboratory’s latest innovation, devised with the aim of ensuring even better and more reliable customer service, was the addition of ‘return dates’ to their diamond grading orders.
The new processing system will include labelling each stone with a planned date for the actual grading to be complete. The GIA seeks to give jewellers, and customers requesting their services, a more clear picture of precisely when they may expect to have their stone returned to them. This new system will be updated weekly, and the turnover date for each diamond will depend on the stone’s carat weight.
These latest changes were implemented after officials of the GIA recognised that the longer turnover times they were experiencing were impacting business results for their clients. The first measure towards solving this issue was the implementation of a ‘fast track’ system in August of last year, which allowed customers to opt for an expedited service for up to 10 percent of their stones. The new labelling system seeks to add to this first step, making the diamond grading process more hassle-free for all parties involved.
The delay in turning over graded stones came as a result of an increase in demand for the GIA’s services. Since the end of 2012, the laboratory has experienced a whopping 70 percent growth in clients, which was largely responsible for the more sluggish pace at which diamonds were being graded. Officials hope these new measures will do away with this issue once and for all.
Founded in 1931, the Gemmological Institute of America is responsible for the famous ’4 C’s’ of diamond grading — carat, colour, cut and clarity. Jewellers, such as Keith Gordon, become very familiar with these four parameters early on in their careers as they are employed internationally to determine the grade of a stone, regardless of what laboratory it is being examined in. The GIA itself boasts no less than nine facilities worldwide, through which hundreds of thousands of diamonds pass each year for inspection and grading.
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