GIA Lab Announces New Colored Gem Reports

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has updated its identification reports for colored gemstones. Rubies, sapphires, and alexandrites will now receive their own gem-specific reports. In the past, only emeralds had received their own reports.

“Because of the growing number of increasingly sophisticated treatments for gemstones in existence today, more research and time is needed to identify and analyze gemstones,” said Tom Moses, senior vice president of the GIA Laboratory and Research. “As a result, we continue to expand our testing processes.”  

The lab said in a release that the updated reports will provide better descriptions, more detail, and more information about treatments. “In particular, the new identification reports will provide separate information for the species and variety of the submitted colored gemstone, as well as a quantification of treatments when present.”

Identification Reports for rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and alexandrite will now feature a photograph of the gemstone.

The GIA has changed the fee for the reports, which are divided into four categories: 1) ruby, sapphire, emerald, and alexandrite services; 2) gemstone identification for other gemstones; 3) pearl services; 4) additional services, which include the updating and verification of previous reports.

The new fee became effective March 1 and is available on the GIA website: www.gia.edu.

In related news, GIA is offering free diamond cut grading seminars, saying the seminars are part of its effort to “communicate the essentials of its new diamond cut grading system to the industry.”

The seminars will be held at GIA's campuses in Carlsbad, Los Angeles, and New York, and several other U.S. cities, which have yet to be announced.