The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), as described in the original article, is a non-profit organization that is the foremost leader in laboratory, grading, and gemological standards in the market today. The organization is a combination of research center, vocational college, library and museum and gemology instrument shop. It has the world’s best gemological library and laboratory. GIA is also the recognized authority in issuing gemological certificates.

GIA is the organization that developed the four Cs in grading diamonds. Diamonds and other stones can be magnified, studied, and analyzed using sophisticated gemological equipments like gemological microscopes. These gemological microscopes come in many types: monocular, binocular or comes with other attachments. Gemological microscopes are also used in determining and judging the four Cs of diamonds: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. The four Cs developed by GIA is the standard or benchmark criteria in judging a diamond or a gem’s value.

The article basically tells the humble beginnings and history of the Gemological Institute of America as well as its mission and objectives. The organization has bridged the gap between consumers and gem sellers by providing reports or grading certificates. These reports or grading certificates provide vital information that describes the gemological properties and characteristics that makes a gemstone valuable.

But like other well-known institutions, GIA is not exempt from scandals and difficulties. The article has cited an incident where the organization was rocked by allegations of accepting payoffs from graders in order to increase stone values. These allegations tested the credibility and trustworthiness of the institution. A consumer’s belief and confidence is increased if the diamond or gemstone has been certified by GIA. With this scandal, how can the consumers and sellers trust these certificates?

However, the organization’s quick actions to make an internal probe and provided visible results have restored the consumers’ confidence in them. A new president was also named. The new president is a female who is a former Catholic nun and is the organizations legal counsel since 2001. It was the first time the organization opted for a president within the organization rather than an outsider from within the gem trade. The new GIA president’s background has a clean slate and has inspired credibility and trustworthiness in the organization.

Since the allegation incident, policies were changed within the organization to provide visibility in all transactions as well as avoid being “chummy” with companies that have submitted stone specimens for grading to the organization. The lawsuit for the allegation has already been settled.

The GIAs accredited vocational college offers courses in jewelry arts, gemology and business administration. Its research lab contains information about various stones and the tests developed by leading scientists and researchers in the gemology industry. Some rare stones and jewelries are also displayed in the organization’s small museum. At present, there more than 50,000 gems in the museum’s collection, most of them came from donations. The organizations also boast of a comprehensive gem library. The gem library contains books, journals, photos, videos, rare volumes like auction catalogs that dates back to 1496.Read on this subject