Individuals continuously expect to find high quality diamonds no matter where they go to make their purchase. Diamonds are found throughout the world and, though many purchases of them do not know it, the fact is, the grading system from one region of the world to the next is quite different. Grading of diamonds is the process of looking at the intricate features of the stones, as a way of valuing one against the other. In recent news, there has been some talk about how international companies are doing this and how it would affect the millions of people purchasing diamonds each year.
BIS Standards Explained
Recently, the Bureau of Indian Standards, going by BIS, announced that it would introduce the benchmarks for grading as well as for the quality of diamonds. These benchmarks will be put on file as IS 15766. In India, this is something new, not done as stringently as it is in the United States. Nevertheless, skeptics and critics believe that it is quite necessary for BIS not only to put these procedures and benchmarks in place but also to be sure that they allow others to know about them.
BIS have various hallmarking laboratories throughout the country. Now that these benchmarks have been in place, the organization will now insure that the grading of diamonds there is efficient. Diamond grading, like this, will be rated on the same characteristics that are in use in other grading systems. This includes clarity, color, cut and carat of the stone. In addition to this, exporters and manufactures of the diamonds, as well as dealers of them in other methods, have been asked to adopt these benchmark evaluations as well.
Why Does This Matter?
The question is quite clear. The United States diamond grading standards are higher and they are well known, while those diamonds from India are much less popular in terms of their grade. Some will say that the grading system is not enough, though. Even there, the BIS grading is considered low class and not high enough in standard to warrant any reassurance of higher sale price diamonds. While this grading may work for lower end jewelry outfits, they will not be enough to convince some of the largest organizations and those buying larger stones of the diamond’s real worth.
The Indian diamond market is one that is large but has much room for growth. Some experts do believe that this new grading system, done by the nonprofit organization will be one that is in view as a positive stepping-stone. While those in the higher end market will not be convinced of the diamond’s value through just BIS grading, the standard market may be. Experts believe that consumers will feel more confident in making purchase though, which could help to increase the overall market considerably.
Experts believe that it is necessary for BIS to work on increasing the organization’s benchmarks and increasing awareness in this grading system. Doing so will help to strengthen the overall ability of the industry to grow through consumer trust and overall confidence.
Diamond Grading In the United States
While this may be the case for India’s diamond market, the United States has a much larger stake in the quality of diamonds that cross its border. The GIA, or Gemological Institute of America, is the world’s foremost authority on diamonds and gems in general. The organization has been in place since 1931 and since that time has become a world leader in gemological research as well as learning. In the United States, the GIA works hard to insure that diamonds that come into the hands of citizens have careful selection and have the best grading possible.
In order to be successful at like this, the Gemological Institute of American works at dedicating grading standards to insure that the public trusts them. The Diamond Grading System used, as it is formally, is a method that takes into consideration the four C’s of diamond value. Those C’s include the cut, carat weight of the diamond, the clarity and the color of the stone.
- D to Z is the color grading of the diamond
- Clarity is identified by a grading of Flawless to 13 in clarity
- Size is determined by official weight of the stone
- Cut is based on the overall cutting method as well as the precision used in it
The GIA has laboratories located in New York, California and Bangkok and then has smaller facilities like a research organization in Antwerp. There are 1100 employees, in estimation in the companies grading scale.
With these standards in place, the GIA is able to be trusted. When the BIS are able to do the same thing in building the diamond grading they use, they too will be trusted by the public.
