Encyclopedia · Diamond quality & grading
Diamond grading report
By Diamond BrosUpdated 4 min read
What does a diamond grading report list?
GIA's Diamond Grading Report covers a diamond's shape, colour, clarity, cut and carat weight, as well as proportions, finish and treatments. Finish means polish and symmetry. GIA's reports for natural diamonds also include fluorescence, and the full report includes a plotted diagram that maps the diamond's unique characteristics.
That diagram is the part buyers overlook. It marks each inclusion and blemish by type and position, so you can find a feather or crystal in the stone yourself with a loupe. A round brilliant gets a cut grade, and as of 2026 it is the only shape that does: GIA describes it as the only cut with standardized facets. Each report carries a report number, and laser inscription of that number is available with select GIA services, so the stone can be matched to its paper. See laser inscription.
Which type of GIA report is which?
GIA offers several natural diamond reports, and they are not interchangeable. They differ in the size of stone they cover and in whether they include a plotted diagram. If a stone comes with a compact or online-only report, you get less detail than the full report gives, so know which one you are holding. The table shows what each report covers, as of 2026.
| Report | What it covers | Stated limits | Plotted diagram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Grading Report | Shape, colour, clarity, cut and carat weight, with proportions, finish and treatments | None stated | Yes |
| Diamond Dossier | A compact version of the Diamond Grading Report, with the 4Cs results | Natural diamonds of 0.15 to 1.99 carats | No |
| Diamond Origin Report | The full 4Cs assessment plus the geographic origin of the diamond | None stated | Yes |
| Diamond eReport | Online-only report with full 4Cs results and a face-up image | Loose natural D-to-Z diamonds of 0.15 to 2.99 carats | Not listed |
| Diamond Focus Report | Online-only report with full 4Cs results | Select loose natural diamonds under 0.40 carat | Not listed |
Is a grading report the same as an appraisal?
No. A grading report identifies the stone and assigns grades; a value is not among its contents. An appraisal is a separate document that puts a value on a piece of jewellery, and it considers the setting and metal as well as the stone.
A report also does not say how a diamond will look to you. Two diamonds with identical reports will still look different, which is why the 4Cs grades are best used to narrow a shortlist, with the final choice made by eye. For a lab-grown stone, GIA laser-inscribes every laboratory-grown diamond it evaluates with "Laboratory-Grown" and a GIA assessment number. See lab-grown diamond and natural diamond for what that distinction means.
How do you verify a diamond report online?
Use the number on the report. For GIA, enter it into Report Check, the online tool for looking up a report. GIA also offers Report Check Plus, which lets you download grading results and PDFs of several reports at once. Reports from AGS Laboratories can still be looked up with the American Gem Society's verification tool, but the American Gem Society closed AGS Laboratories in 2022, so new AGS reports are no longer issued.
- Find the report number on the paper report, and on the stone if it is laser-inscribed.
- Enter it into the laboratory's own online tool, not a link someone else sends you.
- Compare the online grades, measurements and carat weight with the paper copy.
- If there is an inscription, ask to see it under magnification and confirm it matches the number.
A matching record confirms the report. Whether the diamond in front of you is the one described is a separate question, which is where the inscription, the measurements and the plotted diagram help. For help reading each line, see the guide to reading a grading report, and the entries on GIA and IGI. If you are choosing a stone for a custom piece, a showroom visit or the design studio is the place to talk it through.
Key takeaways
- A grading report records a diamond's identity and quality: 4Cs, proportions, polish, symmetry, fluorescence and, on the full report, a plotted diagram of its clarity features.
- It is not an appraisal and gives no value, and two diamonds with identical reports can still look different.
- GIA report types differ: the compact Diamond Dossier, for 0.15 to 1.99 carats, has no plotted diagram.
- Verify a report by entering its number in the laboratory's own online tool, then check the stone against it.
Common questions
Does a diamond grading report show the diamond's value?
No. A report describes the diamond and its grades, and a value is not part of a report. A value comes from a separate appraisal of the finished piece.
Can two diamonds with the same grades look different?
Yes. Every diamond is unique, so two diamonds with identical reports will still look different. The grades describe categories, and details such as the position of an inclusion, the proportions and the fluorescence all affect the look, so view the stones before you decide.
Which diamonds get a cut grade on the report?
Only round brilliants. As of 2026, GIA gives an official cut grade to that shape alone, because it is the only cut with standardized facets. Other shapes still have their polish and symmetry evaluated and their proportions reported, so read those lines and look at the stone.
Can I still check an AGS report?
Yes, for reports already issued. The American Gem Society closed AGS Laboratories in 2022, but its Verify a Diamond Grading Report tool still retrieves existing reports by number. Reports issued after April 1, 2010 can be downloaded as PDFs.
Sources
- Types of GIA reportsGIA · 4cs.gia.edu
- GIA diamond grading report serviceGIA · gia.edu
- GIA laboratory: services and Report CheckGIA · gia.edu
- How to buy a diamondGIA · 4cs.gia.edu
- Diamond cutGIA · 4cs.gia.edu
- AGS Laboratories: verify a diamond grading reportAmerican Gem Society · americangemsociety.org
Related guides
- How to read a diamond grading report (GIA and IGI)Every field on a GIA diamond grading report explained in order, from report number to clarity plot, plus how to verify it, how lab-grown reports differ and what no report tells you.
- The 4Cs of diamonds, explainedWhat cut, colour, clarity and carat weight mean, how GIA grades each, and how to balance them so your budget goes where you can see it.
Related terms
- GIA (Gemological Institute of America)GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, is a nonprofit research and education institute founded in 1931.
- IGI (International Gemological Institute)IGI, the International Gemological Institute, is a gem laboratory and gemology school group founded in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1975.
- The 4CsThe 4Cs are cut, colour, clarity and carat weight: the four qualities a grading laboratory uses to describe a finished diamond.
- Diamond clarityDiamond clarity is a grade for how free a diamond is of inclusions, which are internal or surface-reaching marks, and blemishes, which are external.
- Laser inscriptionA laser inscription is a line of tiny characters etched by laser onto a diamond's girdle, the thin outer edge.
- Jewellery appraisalA jewellery appraisal is a written opinion of what a piece is worth, prepared by a trained appraiser for a stated purpose such as insurance, resale or settling an estate.
- Polish and symmetryPolish and symmetry are the finish grades on a diamond report.
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