Blue Sapphire

$1M ‘Royal Sapphire’ helps Christie’s to $12M total in Paris

A vintage sapphire weighing 7.58 carats, previously connected with a royal family, sold for more than three times its low valuation, helping Christie’s fetch a record-setting $12.03 million – well exceeding the sale’s $9.8 million upper presale estimate.

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IGI Returns to Jewelry Shanghai 2023

IGI China returned to the stage at Jewelry Shanghai 2023 after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic. The institute showcased the latest developments in the lab-grown diamond sector, all categories of IGI reports, and hosted a thought-leadership seminar.

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Scenes from JCK

Fabulous Jewelry Photos from GQ.com

GQ.com Style Editor Yang-Yi Goh recently published ‘The Wild New Era of High-End Men’s Jewelry’ covering modern masculine menswear from wallet chains to dental ‘grills.’ We found the photos masterful, employing vivid context to bring life and personality to the jewelry items described.

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World Diamond Cutting Center Shifts to Dual Output

The world’s largest diamond cutting and polishing center exists in Surat, the second largest city in India’s Gujarat province. There are well over 5,000 cutting and polishing factories, ranging from family run businesses to many of the diamond industry’s biggest players.

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The Top 10 Diamonds from 2022 Auctions

Natural diamond continue to command record breaking prices at auction. Looking back at 2022 we see a diverse set of exceptional diamonds, spanning a range of sizes, which the fall of the gavel transferred to new owners.

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The ‘Dazzling History’ of Natural Diamonds

If the emotional aspect of diamond engagement rings resonates with you, ‘Only Natural Diamonds’ has a beautiful pictorial essay – covering their history from Mary of Burgundy all the way through ‘Bennifer.’

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‘Diavik Midnight Sun’ combines diamonds from Canada & Australia

Rio Tinto has introduced an 18.08 carat yellow diamond from their Diavik mine in Canada, flanked by 4.09 carats of pink diamonds from their retired Argyle mine in Australia.

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Graff Emeralds Smash Bonhams’ Auction Estimates

An emerald and diamond necklace created by Graff exceeded its presale estimate by more than five times at Bonhams’ 2022 London Jewels auction. A pair of emerald and diamond earrings also smashed expectations, quadrupling their estimated value.

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IGI Educates Antwerp Diamond Bourse Visitors

Earlier this month IGI participated in a presentation at the Antwerp Diamond Bourse. The session, staged in the heart of Antwerp’s historic diamond district, was part of a ‘diamond immersion tour,’ arranged for a group of 60 jewelry enthusiasts.

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IGI Presents Seminars at HardRock Summit

Over 400 exhibitors gathered at the Colorado Convention Center, many for the second consecutive year, to take part in the only USA show to bring mineral & fossil dealers and jewelry & gemstone companies together under one roof.

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Sotheby’s Selling ‘Historic’ 11.15 carat Williamson Pink Star

The 11.15 carat Williamson Pink Star is the second largest internally flawless fancy vivid pink diamond to appear at auction. The cushion cut diamond, estimated at $21 million, will be sold in a single-lot auction in Hong Kong on October 5.

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Will Gem Diamonds Do This in 2022?

Gem Diamonds, with offices in the United Kingdom and Belgium owns the Letšeng Diamond mine in Lesotho and the Ghaghoo mine in Botswana. Year on year those operations produce a number of delightfully large, white, exceptional rough crystals.

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Minneapolis Convention Center

IGI Presents Seminars at RJO Minneapolis

Representatives from more than 300 independent jewelry stores around the United States gathered at the Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota last weekend for the biannual Retail Jewelers Organization (RJO) Show.

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Vision & Virtuosity Empire Diamond

Visit ‘Vision & Virtuosity’ in London by Tiffany

Diamond lovers in London are invited to a seven-room display at the Saatchi Gallery, featuring over 400 items from Tiffany & Co’s illustrious history. Open through August 19, the exhibition will travel to New York this fall.

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Polar Bear Diamonds Revived in Canada

Diamonds de Canada (DdC) has been awarded the Polar Bear Diamond™ license, allowing them to bring the iconic trademark back into the market with a renewed look and feel.

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Pair of Pears Fetches $13M at Sotheby’s New York

The gavel fell at $12.9 million for the 101.41 carat ‘Juno’ diamond and $0.7 million for the 111.59 carat ‘Earth Star’ at Sotheby’s New York last week, pushing the total sum for this distinctive pair of pear shaped diamonds over the $13 million mark.

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Record New Lab Grown Diamond Surpasses 30 carats

IGI has analyzed and graded a 30.18 carat emerald cut laboratory grown diamond, the world’s largest to date. Produced by Ethereal Green Diamond, LLP the 30.18 ct “Pride of India” is the first polished lab grown diamond to exceed 30 cts.

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IGI Grades 3 Unique Greenlab Creations Including World’s Largest

IGI recently graded 27.27 carat, 20.24 carat and 15.16 carat lab grown diamonds produced by Greenlab Diamonds LLP as part of their “sustainable and affordable luxury” project. The 27.27 and 20.24 carat gemstones are the largest polished lab grown diamonds ever produced.

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Market by Macy's

Macy’s Opening More Small Stores

With sales at smaller stores exceeding expectations in the fourth quarter of 2021, Macy’s will be opening another 10 off-mall locations in the next year, to include new Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage stores, as well as Bloomie’s and Bloomingdale’s outlet stores.

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Model with DeBeers Blue

15 ct Vivid Blue Diamond Sells for $57.5 Million

An eight minute bidding war resulted in one of the highest prices ever paid for a diamond on Wednesday, when the 15.10 carat “DeBeers’ Cullinan Blue” diamond sold in Hong Kong. Four participants kept raising the stakes until the gavel finally fell at $57.5 million, smashing the pre-sale estimate of $48 million.

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WATCH: Rare, Creative Natural Diamond Shapes

Round brilliant, cushion, and other shapes with depth are historically most popular because they’re both aesthetically pleasing and economically practical. Flat shapes are not as common, which is why we wanted to spotlight these creative, rarely seen shapes.

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‘Red Cross Diamond’ will Benefit Charity a 3rd time

The Red Cross invests 93.5% of dollars they spend on people in need and, according to Christie’s, a “significant” cut of the $11 million dollars this diamond is expected to bring in on May 11 will, again, be donated to its namesake organization.

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See this ‘Graffabulous’ 50 carat Diamond in Palm Beach

A phenomenal 50 carat diamond is available for viewing by appointment in Palm Beach. The centerpiece of a high jewelry collection titled “Graffabulous,” the new owner of this historic D Flawless oval cut will have the opportunity to name the diamond before Graff adds it to their timeline of famous gemstones.

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