Gemological Institute of America Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O FOR ORGANIZATION MISSION STATEMENT.
- Income
- $274.4 million
- Spending
- $275.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 23.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 40%
- Employees
- 1,207
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $828,893, vp & ciso
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 88 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 23.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 7% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 0% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 18 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $30.9 million spent. EDUCATION: GIA OFFERS A COMPREHENSIVE GEMOLOGY CURRICULUM AT THE INSTITUTE'S CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK CAMPUSES, AND THROUGH INTERNATIONAL SUBSIDIARIES IN INDIA, THAILAND, HONG KONG, SOUTH AFRICA, BOTSWANA, TAIWAN, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSES ARE DISTRIBUTED DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY IN A VARIETY OF LANGUAGES. IN 2024, TOTAL ENROLLMENTS WERE APPROXIMATELY 19,300, COMPRISED OF 2,900 ON-CAMPUS AND 16,400 THROUGH DISTANCE EDUCATION. GIA'S EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS COVER THE GAMUT OF GEMOLOGY SUBJECTS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: (A) THE USE OF GEMOLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS, (B) THE OPTICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF DIAMONDS, GEMSTONES, PEARLS AND OTHER NATURAL ORGANIC GEM MATERIALS, (C) LABORATORY GROWN DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND SIMULANTS, (D) DETECTION OF FRACTURE-FILLED DIAMONDS AND LABORATORY GROWN DIAMONDS, (E) DETERMINATION OF COLOR, CLARITY, CUT, AND CARAT WEIGHT OF DIAMONDS, (F) APPLICATION OF FTC GUIDELINES FOR JEWELRY TRANSACTIONS, (G) DETECTION OF LABORATORY GROWN, TREATED, IMITATION OR ASSEMBLED COLORED GEM MATERIALS, AND (H) DETECTION OF CULTURED, IMITATION, ASSEMBLED AND TREATED PEARLS. GIA OFFERS VARYING LEVELS OF CERTIFICATION IN THE AREAS OF DIAMONDS, COLORED STONES, PEARLS, AND JEWELRY. A GRADUATE GEMOLOGIST (G.G.) DIPLOMA FROM GIA IS RECOGNIZED AROUND THE GLOBE AS A KEY CREDENTIAL IN THE GEMOLOGICAL WORLD. IN 2003, IN RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR QUALITY SCIENCE COURSES FOR CHILDREN, GIA CREATED THE JUNIOR GEMOLOGIST PROGRAM. THE GEMKIDS PROGRAM TEACHES GEMOLOGY, GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY TO LOCAL STUDENTS AND YOUTH GROUPS, WITH INSTRUCTION PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTE'S INSTRUCTORS AND MEMBERS OF THE GEM AND JEWELRY INDUSTRY. GEMKIDS PARTICIPATION AT GIA EVENTS IN 2024 RESULTED IN 7,000 CONTACTS WITH KIDS, PARENTS, AND EDUCATORS. GIA HAS ALSO CURATED THE GEMKIDS WEBSITE SINCE 2014, BRINGING INTERACTIVE, ONLINE GEMOLOGY AND GEOLOGY EDUCATION TO STUDENTS AGES 9-12. IN 2024, GIA BEGAN HOSTING "ON DEMAND" RECRUITING EVENTS AS A MORE EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH THE INDUSTRY'S TOP RETAILERS, MANUFACTURERS, LABORATORIES AND WHOLESALERS, AND HELD SEVERAL SUCH EVENTS DURING THE YEAR. THE MISSION OF THE INSTITUTE'S RICHARD T. LIDDICOAT GEMOLOGICAL LIBRARY AND INFORMATION CENTER IN CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA IS TO CONTINUE AS THE WORLD'S PREMIER RESOURCE FOR INFORMATION IN THE FIELDS OF GEM AND JEWELRY-RELATED STUDIES. AS SUCH, THE INSTITUTE PROMOTES THE USE OF ITS RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH BY THE PUBLIC, THE GEM AND JEWELRY INDUSTRY, AND THE INSTITUTE'S STUDENTS, FACULTY AND ALUMNI. THE INSTITUTE'S LIBRARY HOUSES THE WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTION OF DIAMOND, GEM AND JEWELRY RESOURCE MATERIALS. WHETHER BY PHONE, E-MAIL OR IN PERSON, THE LIBRARY STAFF SERVES SCIENTISTS, JEWELERS, GEMOLOGISTS AND STUDENTS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE. THE EXPERT LIBRARY STAFF DRAWS UPON A GROWING COLLECTION OF OVER 17,800 ITEMS IN ITS CIRCULATING COLLECTION, OVER 50,100 ITEMS IN THE RENOWNED CARTIER RARE BOOK REPOSITORY AND ARCHIVES, OVER 271,000 PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES, 2,000 VIDEOS (VHS AND DVD FORMAT), APPROXIMATELY 1,200 JOURNAL AND MAGAZINE TITLES, 250 CD-ROMS AND 130 AUDIO CDS TO PROVIDE READY REFERENCE IN THE FIELDS OF GEMOLOGY AND JEWELRY. GIA'S LIBRARY COLLECTION ALSO INCLUDES 472 UNIQUE EBOOK TITLES (464 COPIES OF EBOOKS AND 8 AUDIOBOOKS) PURCHASED THROUGH OVERDRIVE, A DIGITAL CONTENT PROVIDER. THE EBOOK COLLECTION IS ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE LIBBY APP. THERE ARE 1,156 DIGITIZED VERSIONS OF RARE WORKS, SCANNED FROM ITS COLLECTION, AVAILABLE ON INTERNET ARCHIVE (ARCHIVE.ORG). THE INSTITUTE'S MUSEUM EDUCATES THE PUBLIC ON GEMS AND GEMOLOGY, DISPLAYING CUT GEMS, MINERAL SPECIMENS AND JEWELRY YEAR-ROUND AT THE INSTITUTE'S CALIFORNIA CAMPUS. DURING 2024, SELECTED ITEMS FROM THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION WERE INCLUDED IN SPECIAL EXHIBITS AT VARIOUS EVENTS, IN ORDER TO BRING THE SCIENCE AND BEAUTY OF GEMS TO NEW AUDIENCES. AS DISCUSSED BELOW, THE INSTITUTE PUBLISHES "GEMS & GEMOLOGY," A PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL THAT EDUCATES ITS READERSHIP ABOUT THE LATEST DISCOVERIES IN GEMOLOGY.
- $192.2 million spent. LABORATORY: THE MISSION OF THE INSTITUTE'S LABORATORY IS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM MISREPRESENTATION PERTAINING TO GEMS (WHETHER INNOCENT, NEGLIGENT OR INTENTIONAL), TO DETER GEM THEFT, TO ASSIST IN RECOVERY OF STOLEN PROPERTY AND PROSECUTION OF CRIMINALS, AND TO PROMOTE STATE-OF-THE-ART RESEARCH INTO THE TECHNIQUES BY WHICH GEMS ARE MODIFIED TECHNOLOGICALLY OR GROWN IN A LABORATORY. THE FBI'S JEWELRY AND GEM PROGRAM HAS DESIGNATED GIA AS A PARTNER LISTED ON THE FBI WEBSITE IN COMBATING GEM THEFT. IN 2024, GIA CONTINUED ITS PRACTICE OF FLAGGING STOLEN GEMSTONES IN ITS DATABASE, AND RECOVERED MULTIPLE GEMSTONES IN CASES IN WHICH STONES WERE RESUBMITTED TO THE LABORATORY AFTER HAVING BEEN STOLEN. GIA ALSO GRADED STONES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AT NO COST AND RESPONDED TO MANY INFORMATION REQUESTS FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. FURTHERMORE, GIA PROVIDED MANY DOCUMENTS AT THE REQUEST OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ASSIST THEM IN THEIR DUTIES. THE LABORATORY FULFILLS ITS MISSION BY EXAMINING AND CLASSIFYING INDIVIDUAL GEM MATERIALS SUBMITTED TO THE GIA LABORATORY AND ITS INTERNATIONAL SUBSIDIARIES' LABORATORIES. NATURAL AND LABORATORY GROWN DIAMONDS ARE IDENTIFIED AND GRADED, WITH REPORTS ISSUED ON THEIR PRECISE IDENTIFYING FEATURES AND WITH QUALITY ASSESSMENTS ON THE 4CS: COLOR, CLARITY, CUT AND CARAT WEIGHT. COLORED GEMSTONES, LABORATORY GROWN COLORED STONES, PEARLS AND CULTURED PEARLS ARE IDENTIFIED, WITH REPORTS ISSUED UPON CLIENT REQUEST. THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES OF A GIVEN GEM ARE UNIQUE TO THAT GEM IN MUCH THE SAME WAY A FINGERPRINT IS UNIQUE TO AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON. ONCE A GEM HAS BEEN SUBMITTED FOR EXAMINATION, ITS CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES ARE RECORDED FOR FUTURE REFERENCE IN CASE IT IS EVER RESUBMITTED, EITHER IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF EVENTS OR IN QUESTIONABLE CIRCUMSTANCES, SUCH AS WITH LOST OR STOLEN ITEMS. ADDITIONALLY, IF REQUESTED, AN IDENTIFICATION CODE CAN BE LASER INSCRIBED UPON THE GEM. THE SUBSTANTIAL AND CONTINUOUS VOLUME OF GEM MATERIALS THAT ARE SUBMITTED FOR EXAMINATION, TOGETHER WITH THE LARGE COLLECTION OF COMPARISON GEMS ACQUIRED BY GIA, CONSTITUTE AN INVALUABLE DATABASE FOR THE RESEARCH AND PUBLIC SERVICE CONDUCTED BY THE INSTITUTE. TO MAKE THIS PUBLIC SERVICE POSSIBLE, GIA CHARGES RELATIVELY MODEST FEES THAT VARY BY THE TYPE AND SIZE OF THE GEM MATERIAL. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT GIA DOES NOT APPRAISE ANY GEM MATERIALS OR OTHERWISE ESTABLISH THEIR MARKET VALUE. COMMERCE IN GEMS IS GLOBAL, WITH THE RESULT THAT MANY GEM MATERIALS SOLD BY FOREIGN GEM OWNERS OR DEALERS ULTIMATELY FIND THEIR WAY TO THE U.S. MARKET, EITHER THROUGH WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION OR FUTURE RESALE. MOST DIAMONDS PURCHASED IN THE U.S. HAVE BEEN MINED AND PROCESSED OUTSIDE OF THIS COUNTRY. SOME PROPORTION OF THOSE DIAMONDS HAVE HISTORICALLY NOT BEEN SUBMITTED TO GIA'S LABORATORY BECAUSE OF THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTANCE BETWEEN GIA'S LABORATORY FACILITIES IN CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK AND THE DISTANT LOCATIONS OF MINES AND DEALERS. TO ENHANCE ITS ABILITY TO PURSUE THE MISSION OF PROTECTING THE GEM PURCHASING PUBLIC, DETERRING THEFT, AND ASSISTING IN RECOVERY OF STOLEN PROPERTY AND PROSECUTION OF CRIMINALS, GIA OPERATES LABORATORIES THROUGH ITS BRANCHES AND WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARIES IN BOTSWANA, HONG KONG, INDIA, ISRAEL, JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA, THAILAND, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. IN 2023, GIA BEGAN OFFERING INDEPENDENT GEM AND JEWELRY VERIFICATION SERVICES FOR MULTISIDED PLATFORMS, WHICH ADVANCES GIA'S MISSION OF PROTECTING THE PUBLIC FROM MISREPRESENTATION PERTAINING TO GEMS. PREVIOUSLY, BUYERS ON SUCH PLATFORMS COULD NOT CHECK THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE CLAIMS MADE BY THE SELLERS PRIOR TO PURCHASING. UNDER THE ARRANGEMENTS WITH GIA, ITEMS ARE VERIFIED BY GIA PRIOR TO DELIVERY TO THE BUYER TO DETERMINE THE ACCURACY AND AUTHENTICITY OF THE SELLER'S CLAIMS REGARDING THE COMPOSITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GEMS/ JEWELRY. AS THE MARKETPLACES FOR GEMS AND JEWELRY EVOLVE, GIA CONTINUES TO ADAPT AND FIND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC.
- $10.9 million spent. RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS: SEE SCHEDULE O FOR DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPT PURPOSE ACHIEVEMENTS. RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS: THE INSTITUTE'S RESEARCHERS UTILIZE SOPHISTICATED ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES AND SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE OF GEMOLOGY, INCLUDING DETECTION OF LABORATORY GROWN GEMS, CULTURED PEARLS AND TREATED NATURAL GEMS. THE MISSION OF THE RESEARCH DEPARTMENT IS TO (1) CHARACTERIZE THE GEMOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF GEM MATERIALS AND DEVELOP PRACTICAL WAYS TO IDENTIFY THEM; (2) UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS OF GEMSTONE FORMATION IN THE EARTH, AS WELL AS THE CONDITIONS OF GEM TREATMENT AND EVALUATION OF ANY LABORATORY GROWTH PROPERTIES, AS A FURTHER BASIS FOR DEVELOPING MEANS OF GEM IDENTIFICATION; (3) INVESTIGATE THE FACTORS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE APPEARANCE OF DIAMONDS AND OTHER GEM MATERIALS, SO AS TO ESTABLISH METHODS TO EVALUATE THEIR QUALITY; AND (4) DESIGN AND IMPROVE INSTRUMENTS FOR GEM STONE TESTING. THE INSTITUTE IS THE WORLD LEADER IN RESEARCHING THE METHODS BY WHICH GEM MATERIALS CAN BE ENHANCED IN COLOR OR CLARITY OR GROWN IN A LABORATORY. THIS RESEARCH HELPS PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM POSSIBLE MISREPRESENTATIONS PERTAINING TO GEM MATERIALS. THE INSTITUTE ACTS AS A CONSUMER ADVOCATE TO ENSURE THAT CONSUMERS, ALONG WITH RETAILERS AND WHOLESALERS, ARE FULLY APPRISED OF THE TRUE CHARACTER - NATURAL, TREATED, OR LABORATORY GROWN - OF ANY SPECIFIC GEM. SINCE 2011, GIA HAS PARTICIPATED IN AN AGREEMENT WITH UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TO COLLABORATE ON ANALYSES OF GEMSTONES IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THEIR IDENTITY (NATURAL, TREATED-NATURAL OR LABORATORY GROWN), INDICATIONS OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, AND DEVELOP A DATABASE FOR INTERNATIONAL, FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT WILL FACILITATE TRADE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. THIS COLLABORATION HELPS TO LESSEN THE BURDENS OF GOVERNMENT. IN 2014, GIA INTRODUCED THE GIA DIAMONDCHECK, A DEVICE THAT DRAWS ON GIA'S DECADES OF RESEARCH TO ASSIST IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF DIAMONDS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY LABORATORY GROWN OR COLOR-TREATED. AS PART OF ITS PUBLIC BENEFIT MISSION, GIA, WORKING WITH THE WORLD FEDERATION OF DIAMOND BOURSES (WFDB), MADE THE DIAMONDCHECK AVAILABLE AT NO COST TO 20 DIAMOND BOURSES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. IN 2017, GIA INTRODUCED A PORTABLE INSTRUMENT ID100 FOR QUICK SEPARATION OF NATURAL DIAMONDS FROM LAB GROWN DIAMONDS. IN 2023, GIA LAUNCHED MATCH ID, A PORTABLE DEVICE THAT CAN AUTOMATICALLY VERIFY DIAMOND IDENTITY BASED ON IMAGES OF LASER INSCRIPTIONS. TO DISSEMINATE THEIR FINDINGS, GIA RESEARCHERS SPEAK AT SEMINARS, POST DEVELOPMENTS ONLINE ON THE GIA WEBSITE, AND PUBLISH FREQUENTLY IN SCHOLARLY TEXTS AND JOURNALS, INCLUDING "GEMS & GEMOLOGY," GIA'S QUARTERLY SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION. GEMS & GEMOLOGY, WHICH HAS BEEN IN CONTINUOUS PUBLICATION FOR 91 YEARS, PROVIDES INFORMATION ON NEW GEM MATERIALS, GEM LOCALITIES, TREATMENT AND LAB GROWTH TECHNIQUES, AND IDENTIFICATION METHODS. THE JOURNAL KEEPS STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS ALIKE UP-TO-DATE ON THE MOST CRITICAL TOPICS IN GEMOLOGY. IN RECENT YEARS, THE PUBLICATION OF ITS RESEARCH BY GIA SCIENTISTS HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN PROMINENT JOURNALS SUCH NATURE AND SCIENCE, OFTEN IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER RESEARCHERS FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS. GIA HAS PUBLISHED THREE BOOKS CONTAINING ARTICLES FROM GEMS & GEMOLOGY, ON SYNTHETIC, COLORED AND TREATED DIAMONDS. THERE IS A CONSTANT DEMAND FOR BACK ISSUES BY STUDENTS, PROFESSIONALS AND HOBBYISTS RESEARCHING NUMEROUS GEMOLOGICAL SUBJECTS. IN ADDITION, GIA SUMMARIZES TECHNICAL ARTICLES PUBLISHED BY GIA RESEARCHERS IN GEMS & GEMOLOGY FOR REPUBLICATION IN TRADE JOURNALS NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, SO THE INFORMATION CAN BE BROADLY DISSEMINATED. SINCE NOVEMBER 2008, THE JOURNAL HAS BEEN AVAILABLE ONLINE AS WELL AS IN PRINT. BEGINNING IN 2013, GIA MADE ALL OF ITS CURRENT AND BACK ISSUES OF GEMS & GEMOLOGY AVAILABLE ONLINE AT NO COST, AS WELL AS SUPPLEMENTAL MEDIA AND DATA. GIA ALSO LAUNCHED THE GEM ENCYCLOPEDIA IN 2013, WHICH MAKES DETAILED BUT USER-FRIENDLY INFORMATION ON A RANGE OF GEMSTONES AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON ITS WEBSITE. GIA'S WEBSITE IS AVAILABLE IN THREE LANGUAGES. IN 2020, GIA INITIATED A FACEBOOK GROUP, WHICH HAS NEARLY 45,000 MEMBERS AND WHERE GIA POSTS RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENT. WEBSITE PAGES VIEWS FOR THE YEAR 2024: GEMS & GEMOLOGY: 517,957 RESEARCH & NEWS: 307,373 PUBLICATION INFORMATION FOR THE YEAR 2024: ISSUES DISTRIBUTED TO SUBSCRIBERS: 2,507 CURRENT ISSUES ORDERED: 2,271 BACK ISSUES ORDERED: 1,154 TOTAL ISSUES: 5,932
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 1998.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.