The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), recently brought to notice what, to many, might be a little known facet of the institute – the GIA Retailer Lookup, which enables shoppers to  find stores that carry GIA-graded diamonds or that have GIA-educated staff.

The institute said that 10,000 gem and jewellery retail locations from North America to Europe, Asia and beyond are using the GIA Retailer Lookup to connect with shoppers looking for information and experts to guide them through their purchases.

Using the GIA Retailer Lookup, consumers can search for retailers by city or postal code and receive addresses, store hours and directions.    

“We’ve seen a 46% increase in international registrations, with the majority of the new registrations from retailers in India and China,” said Tali Nay, Manager of GIA’s Retailer Support Program. “The GIA Retailer Lookup is more and more the global platform for connecting consumers with retailers offering GIA-graded diamonds.”

The institute said consumer pageviews to the Retailer Lookup increased by 254% over the past two years as the free service gains global traction.

GIA’s Retailer Support Program – of which the GIA Retailer Lookup is part – provides retailers of all sizes with resources to help sales staff educate consumers about diamonds, coloured stones and pearls and the value of GIA grading and identification reports.

These resources include  authorised GIA signage; educational counter displays and brochures to bring GIA information about diamonds, coloured stones and pearls into the conversation at the counter with consumers. The programme also offers free videos, images, logos and interactive downloads that can be used in advertising, on a retailer’s website and social media pages. Moreover, the Retailer Support Program also offers a series of free training modules retailers can use with their staff.

“We are proud to be part of GIA’s Retailer Support Program and have our name listed on the GIA website,” said Jonathan Goldberg, President and CEO of Kimberfire, a Toronto, Canada based retailer. “The Retailer Lookup is a valuable tool – it opened up our customer network and helped us connect with those looking for a jeweller with our high standards, focus on quality and transparency. We are very excited about the potential for this tool to help us reach new customers and grow our brand.”

Pic Cap: GIA Retailer Lookup is available on all mobile devices and can list store hours, full contact info and directions to the store.

Pic Courtesy: GIA