Current GIA terminology

What Premium and Standard actually cover.

GIA changed its lab grown reporting in October 2025. The current GIA laboratory grown diamond service gives eligible colorless to near colorless loose stones an overall Premium or Standard assessment. It also identifies the diamond as laboratory grown. For a natural diamond, start with a natural diamond GIA grading report instead. Use the report that matches what you are buying.

Premium means the diamond cleared every applicable Premium requirement. GIA looks at clarity, color, polish, symmetry, and cut. Mix Premium and Standard results and the final label is Standard. Fall below Standard in any required category and the stone gets no assessment.

Premium

It cleared the Premium requirements.

The stone met GIA’s Premium criteria across the required categories. You still need to judge its look and its price.

Standard

Find the limiting factor.

At least one category falls below Premium while the stone meets the Standard criteria. Ask which one, then inspect the actual diamond.

No assessment

Ask why it is missing.

The stone was not submitted or did not qualify for this specific service. The missing label cannot establish identity or quality.

Here is GIA’s actual assessment chart.

Premium means clearing every applicable Premium requirement. Mix Premium and Standard results and the final label is Standard. Read the chart, then ask what the label leaves you still needing to see on the diamond.

Read the GIA source

Premium uses Very Very Slightly Included clarity or higher, D color, Excellent polish, Excellent fancy shape symmetry, and Excellent round brilliant symmetry and cut. Standard uses Very Slightly Included clarity, E to J color, Very Good polish, Very Good or Good fancy shape symmetry, and Very Good round brilliant symmetry and cut. A stone must meet the applicable Premium criteria throughout to receive Premium. Any combination within the two categories receives Standard. A result outside both categories receives no assessment. This service covers loose colorless to near colorless laboratory grown diamonds of at least 0.15 carat.

The price question

What changed before the price went up?

What changed between this stone and the Standard option beside it? Ask for the exact report or assessment, video of that exact diamond, the full price, and the return policy for each. Compare the same shape and similar visible size. Watch both in the same light before paying extra for the label.

For round stones, cut and light performance still lead the shortlist. For ovals and other fancy shapes, look for a bow tie, windowing, uneven ends, and face up spread. Ask whether any post growth treatment is disclosed on the report. Then watch the actual stones. The label cannot do that part for you.

Look at the feature behind the grade.

That arrow points to a brown band in a 3.14 carat CVD diamond graded F and VVS2. GIA found that it affected transparency at that spot. This magnified 2024 example had no Premium or Standard assessment. It shows why I ask to see the feature behind the grade.

Read the GIA source

A teaching comparison

Give both diamonds the same chance to show themselves.

These are teaching candidates, not live listings or a YDG client result. Both have the same shape and close visible size.

Diamond A

Premium. Limited viewing evidence.

The seller provides a rotating studio clip. Ask for ordinary light and the exact assessment before deciding the label deserves a higher price.

Diamond B

Standard. A clearer actual view.

The seller provides useful video of the actual stone. Ask what made it Standard, then compare under the same lighting as A.

Use our lab diamond report guide when the stone has a different laboratory report. Use the natural versus lab guide for the bigger category decision. Keep the two questions separate.

Same two pears. Different lighting.

Top: diffuse light. Middle: spot lighting. Bottom: ASET, a map of light behavior, not the diamonds’ body color. GIA’s two pear examples show how the lighting changes what stands out. These are optical examples, not our Diamond A and B or a Premium versus Standard test. Ask for matching views of your actual stones.

Read the GIA source

The same two pear designs appear in three rows. Diffuse lighting is at the top, spot lighting in the middle, and ASET light maps at the bottom. The left design has a broader, more defined contrast pattern. The right design has a finer crushed ice pattern. Lighting changes which features stand out. ASET colors describe light behavior rather than body color. These examples have no stated Premium or Standard assessment and are separate from the teaching candidates A and B.

Before you buy

Match the stone before trusting the label.

  1. Confirm the report belongs to this exact stone. Match the number, shape, weight, measurements, and inscription where available.
  2. Ask for the actual diamond in consistent video and ordinary lighting. A label cannot show you haze or a dark patch that stays put.
  3. Compare total price and purchase terms. A lower price can lose its appeal if the return or upgrade rules do not fit your plans.
  4. Ask what made a Standard stone Standard. If the answer is unclear, send both assessments and videos for a second look.

Send both assessments, the actual videos, and the complete quotes through our diamond comparison form. We can help you identify the unanswered question.

Buyer questions

Your questions, answered

Is GIA Standard a bad lab diamond?

No. Ask what kept it out of Premium. Then look at the diamond. A Standard stone that looks good at the right price deserves a look before you pay more for a Premium stone you have barely seen.

Does Premium mean the best cut?

No. It means the stone met GIA's Premium assessment criteria. Look at actual light behavior, especially away from intense showroom lighting. Fancy shapes need their own visual check.

Should I use this report system for natural diamonds?

No. Start with the natural diamond GIA grading report. This Premium and Standard system is a laboratory grown diamond service.