How Luxe Gems evaluates a stone.
Every diamond Luxe Gems lists is sourced from certified supply, evaluated against live market data, and approved by a credentialed specialist. GIA certification is required. The AI Price Score is published with every listing.
The method
Source. Evaluate. Approve.
A repeatable three-step process applied to every diamond that enters the Luxe Gems catalog.
- 01Source
Certified supply only.
Luxe Gems sources exclusively from GIA-certified supply. Natural and lab-grown stones are held to the same intake standard.
- Kimberley Process documentation on every natural stone
- Growth method and facility disclosed on every lab stone
- Origin country published on the listing
- 02Evaluate
Market comparables plus optical review.
Each stone is benchmarked against same-week market comparables and reviewed under a 10x loupe in calibrated daylight-equivalent light.
- AI Price Score evaluated using market data and expert review
- Inclusion type and position logged per stone
- Face-up behavior documented against the GIA report
- 03Approve
Specialist-approved before listing.
A credentialed specialist signs off on every stone before it enters the catalog. If it does not meet the standard, it is not listed.
- Review notes attached to every listing
- GIA report number verifiable on the public registry
- Thirty-day return on every approved stone
AI Price Score
Evaluated using market data and expert review.
Every Luxe Gems listing carries a price benchmarked against same-week wholesale and retail comparables. Stones are matched on the GIA-graded attributes that drive price: shape, carat, cut grade, color, clarity, fluorescence, and measurements. The score is reviewed by a credentialed specialist before publication.
The methodology is transparent. When the market moves, the listed price moves with it. There are no storewide markdowns and no private showroom pricing.
- Methodology
- Same-week wholesale and retail comparables, matched on GIA attributes.
- Attributes compared
- Shape, carat, cut grade, color, clarity, fluorescence, measurements.
- Review
- Benchmark reviewed by a credentialed specialist before publication.
- Updates
- Scores refresh with market movement. No storewide markdowns.
GIA grading
GIA certification on every stone.
The Gemological Institute of America is the only independent grading laboratory Luxe Gems accepts. GIA graders work without knowledge of a stone's retail value and assess cut, color, clarity, and carat under standardized viewing conditions, with no commercial pressure on the result.
Every stone ships with its full GIA report. The report number is laser-inscribed on the girdle and verifiable on the GIA public registry. IGI, EGL, and in-house certificates are not accepted for center stones.
The four criteria
The 4Cs, weighted in order.
GIA names four criteria. Luxe Gems weights them in a specific order because they do not affect how a diamond looks in equal proportion.
- 01
Cut
PrimaryCut governs how light moves through a stone. An ideal cut in an I color outperforms a D color with poor symmetry. Luxe Gems filters first by cut score and reviews optically before anything else.
- 02
Color
SecondaryD through Z on the GIA scale. Luxe Gems typically works within D through J, where colorlessness reads face-up to the trained eye. Lower grades are evaluated in their intended metal context.
- 03
Clarity
ThirdEye-cleanliness over raw GIA grade. An SI1 with inclusions near the girdle can read cleaner than a VS2 with a central feather. Inclusion type and position are noted in every listing.
- 04
Carat
Context-dependentCarat is a weight measure, not a size measure. Millimeter dimensions are published alongside carat weight, because two 1.00ct stones can look dramatically different face-up depending on cut.
Reference
What the grades look like.
Two short reference panels. Color reads on a continuous D-Z scale; clarity is graded in eleven discrete buckets. Both are drawn here, not photographed. The imagery lock holds until proper editorial diamond photography is shot in-house.
GIA Color · D through Z
Colorless to light yellow.
Luxe Gems works mostly in D-J, where colorlessness reads face-up to the trained eye. K-M show warmth in white gold and read well in yellow gold. N-Z is rarely listed.
GIA Clarity · FL through I3
Eleven grades. Eye-cleanliness over the label.
FL
Flawless
IF
Internally Flawless
VVS1
Very Very Slight 1
VVS2
Very Very Slight 2
VS1
Very Slight 1
VS2
Very Slight 2
SI1
Slightly Included 1
SI2
Slightly Included 2
I1
Included 1
I2
Included 2
I3
Included 3
Luxe Gems curates VS2 through SI1 as the sweet spot for value and face-up cleanliness. Inclusion position matters as much as grade: a central feather can read worse than a girdle pinpoint two grades lower. Every listing logs both.
Origin and ethics
Where a stone comes from.
Every natural diamond Luxe Gems sources is shipped with Kimberley Process documentation. Every lab-grown stone discloses its growth method (HPHT or CVD) and producing facility on the listing. Country of origin is published when the supplier can attest to it; when they cannot, we say so instead of guessing.
- Kimberley Process
- All natural stones ship with KPCS documentation. Conflict origin is incompatible with the Luxe Gems standard.
- Supplier disclosure
- Cutting house, growth method (for lab), and facility country are recorded on every stone.
- Sample certificate
- Reports read "GIA Report · Round Brilliant · Carat 1.02 · Color G · Clarity VS1 · Cut Excellent · Laser inscription verifiable at gia.edu."
- Where we will not buy
- No CIBJO-flagged origins. No suppliers without an audited chain of custody.
First-time buyer
Questions to ask any jeweler.
If a seller hesitates on any of these, ask twice. If they still hesitate, walk. The answers should be on the listing or in the first reply, never in a private showroom.
- 01Ask
“Where is the GIA report number, and can I verify it on the GIA registry?”
Every Luxe Gems stone lists its report number on the public registry. The number is also laser-inscribed on the girdle.
- 02Ask
“What does this price compare to on the wholesale market right now?”
Every listing carries an AI Price Score benchmarked against same-week wholesale and retail comparables, reviewed by a specialist.
- 03Ask
“Is the stone eye-clean, and where are the inclusions?”
Inclusion type and position are logged on every listing. A girdle pinpoint is not the same as a central feather, even if they share a grade.
- 04Ask
“What is the return window and what does it cover?”
Thirty days, full refund on approved stones, no restocking fee. The condition is: the laser-inscribed report number must still match.
- 05Ask
“Is this lab-grown or natural, and how can I tell?”
GIA reports state growth method for lab stones. Luxe Gems never substitutes one for the other and never hedges in the listing title.
- 06Ask
“Who will be setting this, and what is us warranty?”
Setting is done by a credentialed jeweler. Our lifetime craftsmanship warranty covers prong wear and tightening for the life of the piece, free of charge.
Every stone is evaluated and approved to meet Luxe Gems standards.
Ready to start
Browse the certified catalog.
GIA-graded, AI-priced against the live market, and shipped direct. Start with a stone or build the ring around it.