education

IGI certifies Guinness World Record 12,638-diamond ring
Renani Jewels and jewelry designer Harshit Bansal have earned the Guiness World Record title for setting 12,638 diamonds into a single wearable ring – smashing previous records by more than 4,800 stones.
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Ekati Mine has sold and will Restart in early 2021
America’s neighbor to the north will resume some sparkle in early 2021. Canada’s Ekati diamond mine, closed since March due to the pandemic, has been acquired and is set to restart operations by January 29, 2021.
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Here’s why pandemic engagements are soaring
A Brides.com wedding survey reports that 82% of couples say living through the pandemic has made them want to marry their significant other more. For many, it seems “for better or for worse” and “in sickness and in health” have taken on a whole new meaning.
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See the Asteroid worth more than our global economy
The valuable asteroid composed entirely of iron and nickel drew to within 1.6 astronomical units (AU) of Earth over the weekend. If you’re in the USA grab your telescope, escape light-pollution, find an elevated position and look to the north. 16 Psyche will be in the constellation of Taurus tonight.
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Lulo Pink cut into 15.2 carat Heart Shape
The enormous 46.7 carat pink rough diamond recovered at the Lulo Diamond Project in Angola earlier this year has been cut and polished into three diamonds, the largest of which is a Fancy Intense Orangy Pink heart-shape.
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Diamonds and Holidays. For Moments Like No Other.
At the height of the pandemic The Natural Diamond Council launched “For moments like no other,” a campaign emphasizing diamonds as powerful every day symbols beyond adornment, underscoring the benefit natural diamond purchases bring to indigenous people in the upstream value chain.
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Diamonds Created without Heat – a Scientific First
Our planet’s supply of diamonds were produced by four different processes. One took over a million years to achieve results. The next have been working in laboratories and factories, with increasing success, since the 1950s. But until this month man had never replicated that final process.
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998 carat diamond unearthed by Lucara
Lucara’s Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana just produced one of the five largest diamonds ever found, continuing a series of noteworthy diamond recoveries on those premises.
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‘Spirit of the Rose’ commands $26.7 million at auction
An anonymous bidder, buying over the phone, was the winner of the 14.8 carat ‘Spirit of the Rose’ sold at auction in Geneva, Switzerland one week ago. The largest purple-pink diamond ever to be auctioned, the gavel fell at a final price of 24,393,000 Swiss francs, or 26,700,871 dollars.
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More movies to Bling-binge
As the weather grows colder and night comes faster I find myself reaching for my favorite sofa-blanket and channel-surfing more often. Here are a few more movies for jewelry lovers to put on the playlist. There are now more than 30 sparkling hours of jewelry themed movies listed below. So bookmark this post, pop some popcorn, settle in and enjoy the bling.
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IGI Hong Kong certifies largest CVD grown diamond to date
Following a similar benchmark set three months ago, IGI Hong Kong recently certified the largest laboratory-grown diamond received to date. With a finished weight of 12.75 carats, this collection-quality man-made gemstone was fashioned from a staggering 46.20 carat CVD-grown rough crystal
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See IGI’s new Digital Report Platform
Shopping by computer and smartphone is on the rise, with no sign of stopping. In the interest of serving consumers and retailers alike, IGI recently introduced a new digital platform for loose or mounted diamonds, gemstones and jewelry items.
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The Argyle mine closes. Goodbye, Dear Friend.
Yesterday, while Americans woke to cast their votes for president of the USA, a quiet retirement took place in the land down under. Australia’s famous Argyle Mine, which has produced 90% of the world’s pink diamonds since 1983, officially closed her doors on November 3.
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Watch a video rainbow of lab-grown diamonds
Last week we posted an array of photos of lab-grown diamonds in rainbow colors. We’re circling back today with a video-compilation of that same collection, all produced by the team at Diamond DNA.
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Lab Grown diamonds in rainbow colors
Do you remember when our friends at Diamond DNA had us grade that incredible 10-carat lab-grown diamond transformed from intense […]
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10 Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry pieces compiled in video
Make some popcorn, pour a beverage and settle in for another visual tour of exotic and enchanting jewelry. The pieces herein are well-covered and splendidly described. 13+ minutes of glorious and uplifting creations from the artists of iconic Richemont Maison: Van Cleef & Arpels.
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Keeping diamond color in context
Where do you start seeing color in diamonds? Can you see the difference between F and H color? Can you see the difference between D and E color? In full context those answers will become diamond-specific.
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‘Spirit of the Rose’ dances to auction Nov 11
In just 20 days this 14.83 carat Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink diamond will find a new home, when it’s offered via live auction by Sotheby’s Geneva. The auction house estimates this incredibly rare find could command up to $38 million.
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Diamond jewelry sales rising in USA and China
The easing of COVID-19 restrictions, combined with growth in online shopping, has seen a steady rise in diamond jewelry sales across the USA and China. This marks several months of improvement across a broad spectrum of shoppers.
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Diamond journalist Rob Bates turns author
Rob Bates is a highly regarded diamond and jewelry industry journalist. Now, drawing on his wealth of knowledge and experience involving the worldwide trade of gemstones and jewelry, Rob has created a fun, fictional work… A mystery novel entitled “A Murder Is Forever.”
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DeBeers’ diamond sales surge by 57% in September
Anglo American is reporting that DeBeers’ rough diamond sales during the eighth cycle of 2020 brought in $467 million USD. Not only is this is a significant surge over 2020’s seventh cycle, which brought in $334 million, it’s a noteworthy increase of 57% over the $297 million realized during the same cycle in 2019.
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102 carat diamond sells for $15.7 million, breaking records
A private, anonymous collector bidding by phone from Japan is the new owner of the first high-value item of its kind ever offered “without reserve” by Sotheby’s. Originally a 271 carat rough diamond unearthed in 2018 at the Victor Mine in Ontario, Canada, it was cut into this 102.39 carat D Flawless oval shape by Diacore.
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Phenomenal, prismatic, iridescent Ammolite
Today we turn our attention to the optical phenomenon of iridescence, that is the display of dispersive prismatic colors caused by the interference of light – generally due to thin films of gas or liquid – like Iridescent Quartz, Iridescent Agate and Ammolite.
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DeBeers ‘ReSet Collective’ launches with 5 prominent jewelry designers
DeBeers has launched an initiative titled ReSet; a series of collaborations with jewelry designers spotlighting the positive impact of natural diamonds and stimulating conversations about sustainability.
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