eye-candy

Born in Sydney and now based in New York City, designer Ray Griffiths is known for his bold, gem-forward pieces, which always give the stone or stones pride of place, from kaleidoscopic opals to turquoise the size (and color) of robin’s eggs.

A Ruser ring with a 21.15 carat sapphire and diamond side stones set in platinum surpassed its pre-sale estimate by four times, commanding $127,500 when the gavel fell at Bonham’s California Jewels auction in Los Angeles.

You could say that minerals and gemstones are in the DNA of artist Naomi Sarna,  who grew up in Montana, […]

As the leaves begin to change color and summer’s warmth yields to the crispness of autumn, September ushers in a new season of beauty and wonder. It is a month of transition, and fittingly, its birthstone, the sapphire, embodies the very essence of this change. Here are several fun facts and historical points of interest about this remarkable gemstone.

On October 5 Sotheby’s Hong Kong will present the 11.28 carat “Infinite Blue” diamond, with a low pre-sale estimate of $26 million, and high estimate of $37 million. The final carat weight, ending in “8,” was deliberately planned, as it’s considered highly auspicious in Asian culture.

Peridot, with its vibrant green hue, is a gem that has captivated human hearts for centuries. Celebrated in ancient times as the “gem of the sun,” peridot’s color ranges from deep green to yellow-green or greenish-yellow. Beyond its visual allure, peridot enjoys a fascinating history and an association with metaphysical and healing properties.

It all started in 2008/2009 when the global economy went into a downward spiral that launched a new jewelry trend. Many people were unemployed and those who were employed chose to wear jewelry that was more understated. Enter the highly included diamond.

Every year, while Americans are celebrating the Fourth of July over fireworks, sparklers of an entirely different variety descend on Paris around the same time. Known as Paris Couture Week, this important summertime event is when some of the most influential fine jewelry houses unveil their high jewelry collections to buyers, press and other VIPs.

All hail ruby, the birthstone of July, and one of the most widely celebrated colored gemstones. Technically the mineral corundum, all rubies are red. In any other color corundum is not classified as ruby, it is called sapphire.

Only about 1 in 10,000 natural gem quality diamonds is fancy colored. Within that small percentage, some colors are more common than others, making certain of the colors extraordinarily rare. So, what causes us to see these various colors, and why are some so rare?

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.

A 7.50 carat IGI certified lab-grown diamond recently made headlines around the world, when it was gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States. Manufactured in Surat, Modi’s gift stands out for its exceptional quality, environmentally conscious production methods and national symbolism

A 234 year old diamond, ruby and emerald crowned medallion/locket, containing locks of both King George III and Queen Charlotte’s hair, will be offered at auction during Christie’s Classic Week in London, June 30th – July 14.

Enjoy this collection of reels from JCK Las Vegas 2023, as seen on IGI GemGrams and various other IGI social media channels around the world.

Just days after certifying a record-setting 35 carat lab grown diamond, IGI has certified a 50.25 carat specimen measuring 22.95 x 18.45 x 11.57 millimeters – the first lab grown diamond to surpass the significant “half-century” mark in carat weight.

IGI has analyzed and graded a 35.00 carat laboratory grown diamond measuring 23.37 x 15.24 x 9.06 millimeters, the largest to date. Produced by Maitri Lab Grown Diamonds (Maitri), the new record holder was grown using the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process.

Rio Tinto recently unveiled a stunning new creation featuring pink and blue diamonds from the Argyle Mine. The Argyle Rose ^TM Ring features a 1.36-carat fancy deep pink radiant cut, a surround of blue diamonds from Argyle and 2.80-carats of white diamond “petals.”

In 2011, Chinese jewelry artist Dickson Yewn was relatively unknown beyond the most exclusive collecting circles. Then First Lady Michelle Obama was photographed wearing one of his rings during a state dinner. It was the celebrity moment that put him on the map.

Enjoy a series of video shorts featuring some of the beautiful jewelry models and dazzling adornments appearing at the first international IGI D Show this weekend at the Hilton Dubai, Al Habtoor City in Dubai, UAE.

The 11.16 carat Bulgari Laguna Blu, the most valuable gemstone ever sold by Bulgari, will go to auction in Geneva May 12, with a pre-sale estimate of more than $25 million. With this announcement, Sotheby’s is poised to complete a trifecta of extraordinary, record breaking colored stone sales.

Tiffany & Co. has made a comeback in New York after four years of construction and relocation, and will open to the public tomorrow, with a number of changes. The Fifth Ave location is now called “The Landmark,” setting it apart from other locations.

Last week the “Lion of Merelani,” a spectacular 116.76 carat tsavorite garnet, was unveiled at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. This exquisite gemstone has been recorded as the largest tsavorite ever cut in the United States and the largest precision-cut tsavorite in the world.

A fancy intense pink rough diamond weighing 108.39 carats has been recovered in the Kingdom of Lesotho, at the Kao mine operated by Storm Mountain Diamonds. This rare Type IIa gemstone is one of the largest pink diamonds in history to have been recovered.

The first international edition of the popular IGI D Show will take place from May 5-7 in Dubai, UAE. Over 100,000 designs from 33 jewelry manufacturers will be on display for representatives from more than 150 prominent retail brands and chain stores.