GSI grading institute is known for being rather loose in their diamond assessment. Unlike GIA certification specialists, the creators of GSI reports seem to favor only one side in a diamond trade, not a general truth.
GSI certification institute can be titled “a hype man” in the diamond industry. This grading laboratory appeared recently and became famous rapidly. As each celebrity, it pays its price for this — the institute inevitably depends on the audience’s excitement to keep issuing grading reports.
The secret behind GSI sparkling performance is simple. The grading institute has initially started working with influential retailers. Diamond jewelry chains like Kay, Zales, and Jared prefer ordering GSI reports. These diamond dealers fancy GSI certification for fast delivery and customer care.
The package of offerings from the GSI grading institute is typical. It includes diamond identification, grading, and appraisal. And everything would be great if diamond certification was about making diamond sellers happy. But the idea is to do an unbiased research that validates diamond color, clarity, carat weight, and cut.
Diamond certification is not about making a retailer the best proposal ever! But that’s what GSI grading specialists do quite often.
We could stop this article here, but that would sound as an insubstantial accusation. So, please continue reading to get more details about GSI grading.
The Structure Of GSI Diamond Certificate
To assess the structure and quality, GSI certification experts use common measurement scales. The typical structure of the GSI certificate contains the following parts:
- Report Number — the documentary validation that a particular piece of paper is GSI certificate.Always check the presence of a report number! That will be the key reference point for GSI certification institute. This part in the GSI certificate allows requesting any further actions. With it, you can ask for annual cleaning or selling your diamond as an investment asset.
- Carat — the weight of a diamond.
- For grading carat weight in its reports, GSI uses a standard method of deliberation with scanning. To understand this part in the diamond certificate, transfer carat measurement scale to grams: 1 carat equals 0.2 grams.
- Shape/Cut — identifies the mastery of a cutter in creating the diamond.
- To determine cut quality, GSI uses the scale that contains 6 grading criteria: Ideal, Excellent, Very good, Good, Fair, and Poor. These grades determine the form of your diamond and the mastery of its facetting.
- Measurements — the grading parameter that includes percentages for depth, table, crown, pavilion, along with an evaluation of girdle and culet.
Measuring proportions is crucial for setting the grade for the diamond cut in the GSI report. And so, the accuracy of these parameters has a tremendous impact on the final price of a diamond. - Clarity — the purity grade of a diamond that affects its brilliance and sparkle.In contrast to diamond cut, diamond clarity can be checked by a diamond buyer being eye-clean is its quality standard. Notwithstanding this, GIA and GSI evaluate the clarity grade differently, which results in inadequate pricing policy from GSI.
- Color (with Fluorescence subsection) — the must-have section in the diamond certificate that indicates its tone grade
For diamond color evaluation, GSI hasn’t invented any unique scale. Like GIA, it prescribes a colorless diamond a letter from D to Z (where D is the purest color and Z means having visible yellow or brown tints). At the same time, the accuracy of a prescribed grade has nothing similar to GIA standards. An unobservant spectator won’t notice the difference but the laboratory results from GIA for the same diamond will unravel the inconsistency of grading demonstrated by HRD (The same problem applies to HRD and EGL, by the way).
For GSI certification, setting a couple of grades up in favor of diamond dealers is a common practice.
Additional Services Offered By GSI
Alongside the grading report, GSI provides several extra features to enhance your buying experience:
Trade Consultation Report: This report offers valuable insights and analysis tailored for retailers and buyers. It helps them understand the diamond market better, making it easier to make informed decisions.
Hearts and Arrows Report: This specific report focuses on the cut and symmetry of round diamonds. It shows how well the diamond has been shaped, which is important for its beauty and brilliance. Diamonds that have a good Hearts and Arrows cut are known for their exceptional sparkle.
Metal Engraving: You can also choose to engrave a personal message or special details on the metal setting of the diamond. This adds a sentimental touch, making the piece even more special.
Light Performance PSX Report: This report measures how well the diamond returns light, which contributes to its shine. It helps you understand how brilliant the diamond will look in different lighting conditions.
Laser Inscription: GSI offers the option to inscribe a unique identification number on the diamond. This provides proof of authenticity and makes it easier to identify the diamond if needed in the future.
Considerations Regarding GSI’s Reputation
While GSI grading reports are used by well-known jewelry retailers, it’s wise to be cautious. Some experts have pointed out that there may be inconsistencies in GSI’s grading standards. This could affect how much trust you can place in their evaluations. Therefore, when you consider a GSI-certified diamond, it’s important to carefully examine the details in the report and compare them to your expectations for quality and value. This will help ensure you are making a sound investment in your diamond purchase.
The Quality Of GSI Certification And The Accuracy Of Its Grading
When you receive a GSI diamond, it’s hard to identify all the flaws we’ve mentioned here in this stone at first glance. However, most specialists in diamond certification rely on laboratory tests and advise diamond buyers not to trust GSI certificates. The main problems with its reports are (a) potential manipulations in upgrading, (b) serving the interests of diamond retailers, and (c) low reputation in objective diamond certification.
Diamond Registry experts do not recommend taking GSI certification. Even though the report presence is always a must, the certificates from this diamond grading institute are generally not reliable.
This article expresses our subjective opinion based on experience and research. Readers are encouraged to do their own research to verify information.
