education

Practically Prioritizing the Diamond 4Cs
If you know anything about diamonds it’s probably the 4 Cs – Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat Weight. There’s plenty of information about the 4Cs which can be found online and learned in conversations with professionals and enthusiasts, but prioritizing them is not always easy. Here are my suggestions.
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IGI President appointed to the Board of Diamonds Do Good
IGI North America President Avi Levy is one of 10 new members appointed. Founded Diamonds in 2007, Diamonds Do Good’s mission is supporting programs that develop and empower people in countries with significant economic dependence on the natural diamond trade.
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Holiday E-Commerce Sees Signet Sales Soar
Signet’s stock climbed more than 6% after reporting its same store sales during the holiday season were up 5.6% compared to 2019. Most notably, the jeweler’s e-commerce sales rose nearly 61% year over year.
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First Mothae rough sale in 2021 yields $5.6 million
4,676 carats of rough diamonds from Lucapa’s Mothae kimberlite mine in Lesotho have been sold in Antwerp. Commanding a record price of $1,198 per carat, the parcel contained a number of larger pieces, including the 101 carat D colored crystal unearthed at the end of 2020.
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7 Staple Jewelry Items for Every Girl (and Boy)
What the Tiffany Solitaire is to bridal jewelry, the seven staples pictured here are to daily fashion. Each is a versatile classic which has stood the test of time. Easy to accessorize, suitable for nearly any occasion, we return to these popular pieces again and again.
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Same Carat Weight – Visible Size Differences
Different 1.00 carat diamonds can look different sizes. This is because we typically view diamonds from a single direction: Above. Imagine cooking a 1 pound meatball and a 1 pound pancake. On your scale they weigh the same. But the meatball’s weight is distributed in a deeper geometry.
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25 Year Extension for Lucara in Botswana
If you watched the documentary “The Diamonds of Botswana” you know how diamonds benefit the citizens of that country. Lucara’s Karowe Mine has just received a license renewal and extension from Botswana’s Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security into January, 2046.
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Some Clarity on Diamond Clarity
Nature’s birthmarks? Or unsightly specks? What do you think? There are many different philosophies regarding natural diamond and gemstone clarity. What do you think? Should a diamond be allowed to have few blemishes, or should it be as clean as the pure driven snow?
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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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