The GIA is a non-profit research and educational institution which has a guiding mission of upholding integrity in the diamond industry. All GIA certified diamonds come with a diamond grading report that tells you more than you probably ever want to even know about the 4 Cs of that little slice of heaven.

Diamond Characteristics of GIA certified diamonds are documented in the GIA Diamond Grading Report for diamonds over 1 carat in size and in the Diamond Dossier Report for those under 1 carat. They Diamond Grading Report indicates some of the following:

The weight of diamond in carats. Many people think of carat weight as the size of a diamond. However, if a diamond is cut deep and narrow, it will look much smaller than another diamond of the same weight that is cut shallow and wideA grading which evaluates the absence of color. Colorless is the most desired status, with other grades exhibiting increasing degrees of color. A few, very rare diamonds exhibit other "fancy" colors, such as pink, green, blue, intense yellow, etc.

Color when diamond is viewed under UV light: One technique that gemologists use to help identify and separate diamonds from the diamond look-alikes is by putting the gem under a UV lamp. If it fluoresces (glows) blue, it is almost certainly a diamond.

A map of the inclusions as viewed under a microscope. If a diamond has a clarity grade of VS1 or better, you will not see any flaws with your naked eye. If the clarity grade is VS2 or less, examine the plot to see the placement of the major flaws.