Skip to content
NEW SCHEDULE! We are now taking special reservations for days we would normally be closed. To make a special reservation, click HERE
NEW SCHEDULE! We are now taking special reservations for days we would normally be closed. To make a special reservation, click HERE

Purchasing a Stone with a GIA Certification Report

Interested in purchasing a stone with GIA certification?  No problem!
This page explains the details.

 

HOW IT WORKS

When you purchase a stone with the option selected to get a GIA certification, we will submit that stone to a GIA laboratory.

On average, GIA estimates to keep a stone for about two weeks (depending on how busy they are at the time).  Including shipping, your minimum wait time will be about 20 days.

Once GIA is done, the stone will be shipped to you, including the original copy of the GIA Identification Report.  Your report will have a number attached to it that you can look up on GIA's website to confirm its validity.

Here is an example of what GIA's Identification Report will look like:
GIA Identification Report Example

Image credit: GIA

 

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT REFUNDS

The GIA certification fee is non-refundable!  GIA is a 3rd party, and is not affiliated with us.  In the event you wish to return a gemstone for a refund, we would be unable to refund the certification fee.  We apologize for the inconvenience.

 

SHIPPING INSURANCE LIMITATIONS

When shipping a gemstone to GIA, we apply shipping insurance to the package.  Maximum shipping insurance is $5,000Keep this in mind if you are interested in a stone with a greater value. We have no control of what happens during shipping.  We are not liable for lost packages in the mail.

 

FAQ

What is a GIA certification?
A: GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is one of the leading names in gems and gemology.  When a gemstone is sent to one of GIA's labs, it will undergo their testing and analysis.  The stone will then be issued an Identification Report with all relevant information.

Why would you want to get a stone GIA certified?
A:  Think of it as the official paperwork of a gemstone.  Collectors like to know what they are buying is legitimate.  Just like a rare 1st edition comicbook; a collector wants to know it's the real deal.  Gemstones are no different.

What is the GIA certification fee for?
A: The certification fee contains many things.  It includes GIA's fees, processing, shipping & handling both ways, and insurance.

Why don't you sell gemstones that are already GIA certified?
A: Benitoite is already a rather pricey gemstone.  We do not want to add onto that with additional things that you might not even want or care about.  Instead, we simply offer the option to get stones GIA certified.

Why are some certification fees more/less than others?
A: GIA has different fees for different gemstone sizes.  The stone your looking at might be in a different price category.  Each certification fee also includes shipping insurance, which can change the total expense.

 

- - - DISCLAIMERS - - -

3RD PARTY DISCLAIMER
We (Benitoite Mining Company) are in no way affiliated, connected, or associated with GIA (Gemological Institute of America).  GIA is a 3rd party service that we use to certify gemstones.

MEASUREMENT ERROR(S) DISCLAIMER
There might be slight discrepancies between measurements we find and measurements GIA finds in a stone.  Sometimes when we get a stone back from GIA, their measurements are slightly different than ours. Here is an example of a stone we got from GIA with discrepancies between our findings:

Our measurements: 0.14ct @ 3 x 2.16mm
GIA's measurements: 0.13ct @ 3.02 x 2.17mm
Discrepancy: 0.01ct @ 0.02 x 0.01mm

We always do our best to give you an accurate result for every stone.  We re-measured this particular stone, and still got 0.14ct.  GIA has better measuring tools than we do, and highly trained professionals using them.  We will always trust GIA's results over our own, and we apologize for any discrepancies between results.