Associate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.
GIA Offers Express Diamond Grading Services for the Holidays
U.S. retailers now can receive grading reports within 24 hours at no extra cost until Jan. 4.

Carlsbad, Calif.—To meet retailer needs during the busy holiday season, the Gemological Institute of America is offering diamond grading services conducted in less than 24 hours at no additional cost from now until Jan. 4.
The offer applies to Diamond Grading Report or Diamond Dossier services for D to Z color diamonds sent from U.S. locations to its Carlsbad, California or New York City laboratories.
The stones and their grading reports will be available within 24 hours by pickup. Otherwise, return shipping is available at normal shipping times following the 24-hour grading.
The GIA said all desired services have to be ordered at the time of stone submission; diamonds submitted with requests for add-on or follow-up services aren’t eligible and will instead be serviced based on the standard estimated return dates posted on GIA’s website.
Clients will be able to submit stones for this offer once all requested information is provided and GIA confirms eligibility.
Stones submitted can’t be received or returned on dates that GIA is closed, including weekends. View the full list of closure dates on its website.
The offer is open only to clients who have a signed client agreement in place with GIA (if interested in becoming a client contact GIA client services at carlsbadlab@gia.edu) but there is no limit on how many stones one client can submit.
To participate, contact a GIA client service representative. In New York they can be reached by phone at 212-221-5858. In Carlsbad they can be reached at 760-603-4500 or carlsbadlab@gia.edu.
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