Events & AwardsOct 17, 2025
An Edit of Italian Jewels Is Coming to NYCThe new showcase dedicated to Italian jewelry design is set for Oct. 29-30.
GradingAug 06, 2020
GIA Will Start Using Artificial Intelligence for Diamond Clarity Grading
The system is currently being tested in New York and Carlsbad, with an industry-wide rollout expected next year.
The image on the left, shot using GIA-developed hardware, teaches IBM Research’s artificial intelligence software how to recognize inclusions and reflections in diamonds, as seen at right, enabling the AI system to clarity-grade diamonds. (©GIA)
New York—The Gemological Institute of America is boldly going where it has never gone before—into the realm of automated clarity grading for diamonds.
GIA announced last week that it is partnering with IBM to develop an artificial intelligence system for diamond clarity grading.
The lab is currently testing the system internally at its New York and Carlsbad, California facilities on stones that are 4 carats and under, with plans to expand it and start sending out stones that were clarity-graded using AI in 2021.
Pritesh Patel, GIA’s senior vice president and chief operating officer, said AI clarity grading works by feeding data sets—GIA has thousands of stones in its reference collection that are used as standards for the 4Cs—into the program, which then is used to train algorithms on how to grade diamonds for clarity.
It, essentially, learns how to look for certain types of inclusions, feathers, crystals, needles, etc., and what clarity grade those inclusions, or combinations of inclusions, equate to in a diamond.
Once the training is complete, the AI program will continue to follow that training, and GIA can feed it more data over a period of time so the system’s intelligence will continue to grow.
GIA Executive Vice President and Chief Laboratory and Research Officer Tom Moses said at this point, the AI clarity grading is still in the development stage, so the lab has its human graders checking its work.
In the future, though, the system will function on its own most of the time, with a goal of making grading faster, accurate and consistent, and expanding the technology to more diamond shapes, sizes and qualities.
“Ultimately, we believe in the vast majority of cases [human involvement] will not be necessary,” Moses said, though he notes there still will be “a set of eyes” on larger, more important diamonds.
Automated grading is not new for GIA.
Moses said it’s been part of GIA since the beginning, as lab founder Robert Shipley Sr.’s son, Robert Jr., helped the lab develop an instrument to support visual color grading in the 1940s.
Clarity grading, in fact, is the final one of the four Cs for which GIA is introducing an automated process; in an interview with JCKonline.com, Moses described it as “the last frontier” of automated diamond grading because of its complexities.
While grading clean stones, like VVS or VS diamonds, is fairly simple, clarity grading gets more complicated
when stones are more included, Moses explained.
The system has to be able to identify multiple different inclusions and determine how much of an impact they have on the diamond’s grade.
He said so far, GIA is testing AI clarity grading on natural diamonds only but likely will use it for lab-grown diamonds as well.
As with any technology designed to do a job once performed by a human being, AI clarity grading brings with it the question of job cuts.
Moses said while the lab did have to lay off “some staff” due to COVID-19—GIA declined to release specific figures—overall, it’s not looking to use AI to reduce the number of trained people it has.
Instead, GIA wants to handle and process more diamonds, he said, and use technology to free up human capital to work on projects that are more intricate and involved, like treatment identification and lab-grown diamond research.
“How can we use some of this talent that’s unique to GIA to be more creative, to add more value?” Moses said. “What can we do to help increase consumer confidence?”
Patel called the lab’s trained staff a “critical part of the assets GIA has,” and said staff worldwide see the AI clarity grading system as a valuable tool.
He also noted the lab could start using IBM’s AI technology for future projects, including the connecting of physical assets to digital information.
“Innovation is going to continue to happen, and it’s going to accelerate at a much faster pace,” Patel said. “GIA is going to play a significant role in that innovation, in the grading space and around it.”
The system has to be able to identify multiple different inclusions and determine how much of an impact they have on the diamond’s grade.
He said so far, GIA is testing AI clarity grading on natural diamonds only but likely will use it for lab-grown diamonds as well.
As with any technology designed to do a job once performed by a human being, AI clarity grading brings with it the question of job cuts.
Moses said while the lab did have to lay off “some staff” due to COVID-19—GIA declined to release specific figures—overall, it’s not looking to use AI to reduce the number of trained people it has.
Instead, GIA wants to handle and process more diamonds, he said, and use technology to free up human capital to work on projects that are more intricate and involved, like treatment identification and lab-grown diamond research.
“How can we use some of this talent that’s unique to GIA to be more creative, to add more value?” Moses said. “What can we do to help increase consumer confidence?”
Patel called the lab’s trained staff a “critical part of the assets GIA has,” and said staff worldwide see the AI clarity grading system as a valuable tool.
He also noted the lab could start using IBM’s AI technology for future projects, including the connecting of physical assets to digital information.
“Innovation is going to continue to happen, and it’s going to accelerate at a much faster pace,” Patel said. “GIA is going to play a significant role in that innovation, in the grading space and around it.”
More on Grading
The Latest
TrendsOct 17, 2025
Piece of the Week: Judi Powers Jewelry’s ‘Stella’ EarringsTake a gaze at the sky with this pair of platinum diamond-set star earrings with blue lace agate drops.
IndependentsOct 17, 2025
From the Jazz Age to the Information Age: London Jewelers Turns 100In 2026, the jewelry retailer will celebrate a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
IndependentsOct 16, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Jeffrey Zimmer Jeffrey Zimmer's decades of leadership at Reeds Jewelers are defined by integrity, a love of sourcing gemstones, and a heart for community.
Weekly QuizOct 16, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsOct 16, 2025
Sotheby’s Introduces Custom Jewelry ServiceThe new high jewelry design and production process takes 30 days or less from concept to completion, the auction house said.
MajorsOct 16, 2025
Oscar Heyman’s Holiday Catalog Is Out, and It’s SpectacularThe holiday catalog for 2025 features never-before-seen images of more than 100 one-of-a-kind masterpieces.
Brought to you by
JA New York Fall Is Right Around the CornerThe upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.
CollectionsOct 16, 2025
Foundrae Adds To ‘United in Love’ CollectionThe brand has released a second installment of its collection of traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.
IndependentsOct 15, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Kathy CoreyCorey rescued New England chain Day’s Jewelers, preserving its legacy with strong people skills, pragmatism, and a “get-it-done” attitude.
CrimeOct 15, 2025
Men Receive Lengthy Prison Sentences for 2023 Murder of Colorado JewelerCharles Robinson Shay was sentenced to life in prison plus 120 years while his accomplice, Michael James McCormack, got 75 years.
Events & AwardsOct 15, 2025
‘Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture’ Opens at MADThe Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.
Events & AwardsOct 15, 2025
JCK, Luxury to Debut New Watch Section in Vegas Next YearTimepieces at Luxury will take place at The Venetian and, like Luxury, will be invitation-only for the first two days.
AuctionsOct 15, 2025
Christie's Announces New Jewelry Department LeadershipThe auction house named a new global head of jewelry, as well as a new head of the jewelry department for the Americas.
IndependentsOct 14, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Tom DixonAs chairman of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Tom Dixon has been tasked with honoring the past and shaping the future of the family-run store.
Events & AwardsOct 14, 2025
Here Are the Winners of the BIJC, JA ‘Emerging Jewelers’ Grant Katty Villapando Lyte and Mica Rencher received a $10,000 grant for their business, Shimmer Culture LLC.
IndependentsOct 14, 2025
Day’s Jewelers Crafts Custom Jewelry for No.1 NBA Draft Pick Cooper FlaggThe parents of the Dallas Mavericks rookie bought their engagement ring at a Day’s store in Bangor, Maine, in 1997.
SourcingOct 14, 2025
Pragnell Debuts Kitulo Garnet Jewelry The UK-based brand sourced the gemstones, which are fully traceable, from an artisanal mining community in Tanzania.
CollectionsOct 10, 2025
Count Down to the Holidays With Astrid & Miyu’s Advent CalendarsThe trio of Advent calendars include a version with 18-karat gold and lab-grown diamond jewelry in a red lacquer jewelry box.
CollectionsOct 10, 2025
Piece of the Week: Marla Aaron’s ‘Nymphenburg Lock’Created in collaboration with Nymphenburg Porcelain, the lock is part of a four-piece collection that took two years to bring to fruition.
MajorsOct 10, 2025
Frederick Goldman Names New VP of SalesJewelry industry veteran Alisa Bunger has taken on the role.
SourcingOct 09, 2025
Feriel Zerouki Is Leaving De Beers The company and industry leader’s two-decade tenure with De Beers will come to a close at the end of the month.
AuctionsOct 09, 2025
This Fabergé Egg Could Crack $27M At Auction“The Winter Egg” set the world auction record for a Fabergé piece twice at previous Christie’s sales.
MajorsOct 09, 2025
Sy Kessler Buying Watch Batteries as Silver Hits Record High The company will pay 1.5x silver’s current spot price for each pound of silver oxide batteries submitted.
CollectionsOct 09, 2025
Katkim Launches First Men’s CollectionThe line includes a “Shadow” series crafted exclusively for the new men’s offering and reimagined styles from the brand’s core collections.
SourcingOct 09, 2025
Gemfields’ Mini Mixed-Quality Ruby Auction Garners $11MThe rough on offer was recovered from a newer area at the Montepuez mine.
SourcingOct 08, 2025
In ‘Storied Diamond,’ Jared Jewelers Is Emphasizing the Journey The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.
