Bright diamond

Setting Recommendations for D-Z Diamond Colors

Color is one of the most important factors in a diamond’s overall beauty and value. When selecting a setting it’s important to remember that the type of metal used can have a significant impact on how a diamond’s color appears. White, yellow and rose gold settings can all affect how a diamond looks.

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IGI GemBlog Climbs to Feedspot’s Top 5

The IGI GemBlog has improved its position among thousands of blogs and websites, ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness according to Feedspot, the internet’s largest human-curated database of bloggers.

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Webinar March 15

Register Now: Lab Grown Diamond Webinar, March 15

Join us March 15th at 2:00 pm ET for ‘Lab Grown Diamonds: What’s now? What’s new? What’s next?’ a webinar presented by IGI and THE MVEye, as part of National Jeweler’s Supplier Spotlight webinar series.

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diamond loupe

Are ‘Post-Growth Treatments’ Permanent?

As lab grown diamonds gain popularity consumers have questions about the “post-growth treatment” comment seen on many IGI grading reports. Post-growth treatments are commonly used to reduce, eliminate or change the diamond’s color-appearance. Logically, people want to know “are the treatments permanent?”

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Video: ‘Behind The Scenes’ with IGI at NYC Jewelry Week

IGI provided a ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour to attendees of last month’s NYC Jewelry Week in Manhattan, showcasing the institute’s grading and appraisal processes for diamonds, gemstones, and jewelry.

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IGI GemBlog Ranked in Feedspot’s Top 10

The IGI GemBlog has earned a top position among thousands of blogs and websites, ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness according to Feedspot, the internet’s largest human-curated database of bloggers.

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Magnifying Glass

Diamond Detection and Handheld Testers

Handheld gemstone testers are commonly used to differentiate between diamond and diamond-simulants like CZ and moissanite. However, as diamond growing technology advances the technology used in those devices becomes more limited.

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Trivia Question

Trivia: Why is ‘D’ the highest diamond color?

In the normal diamond color range ‘Z’ is classified as most tinted while ‘D’ is classified as most colorless. So what happened to A, B and C? Are they reserved for new diamond discoveries? Extraterrestrial diamonds? What could possibly be more colorless than most colorless? If there are 23 classifications why not start with ‘A’ and end with ‘W?’

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Are there Affordable Natural Diamond Colors?

Fancy colored diamonds are very rare to find in nature. They represent less than 0.01% of diamonds mined in the world – or, about 1 in 10,000. Furthermore, nature produces some colors with far more frequency than others, so a diamond transmitting your favorite color might be, literally, 1 in a million.

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The Zoe Report Quotes IGI on Sustainability

The Zoe Report (TZR), one of BDG’s brands which collectively reach over 100 million readers per month, recently cited input from IGI on sustainability in the diamond and jewelry industry.

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Lady Shopping

How to Buy Diamond Jewelry in 2022

Many things have evolved or changed since the turn of the century, and especially in the last 2 years. These changes have impacted many aspects of life, including how we interact and how we buy things.

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Proposing this season? Arm yourself with information.

Proposal season in the USA runs from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day. Of course suitors should choose the month and day best suited to their situation, but 40% of engagements normally occur between November and February. Prepare yourself with this information on recent trends, pricing and preparation.

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IGI Gemologists tell your diamond's story with certification and grading

Watch ‘Your Diamond Story’ video from IGI

A diamond’s journey through our laboratory is one of sophisticated assessment and analysis. From intake through inscription, every step is performed with careful attention to detail and thorough, transparent reporting. See how Your Diamond Story may be told to the world with confidence, in this descriptive video.

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Home Jewelry Cleaning – Seven Steps to Sparkle

First things first: A friendly reminder not to expose your gemstone jewelry to mechanical cleaners. Traditional oil treatments can be driven out, dulling transparency or color, and many gems can crack or shatter when exposed to sudden temperature changes or ultrasonic bubble implosions. Use these SEVEN STEPS TO SUCCESS for safe home cleaning.

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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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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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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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diamond simulant

Is it a diamond? Don’t get fooled.

Believe it or not, there are people who like to presume they’re wearing big money but don’t actually want that theory tested.  That’s harmless – until it leads to misunderstandings.

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Frequent hand washing and jewelry care

In today’s climate my attention to my hands, what I touch and how often I clean them has reached new heights. And of course, each time I clean my hands, I’m aware of the rings I am wearing. Fortunately, there’s good news ahead for jewelry wearers as it relates to sanitizing frequently.

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Will a feather EXPLODE my diamond?

Crack! Fracture! Cleavage! Gletz! These words are used to describe one of mother nature’s most common clarity characteristics. The feather. The dreaded feather. That notorious, ticking-time-bomb that could cause your diamond to EXPLODE!

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You must spend THIS MUCH on an engagement ring

You’ve found the perfect partner and want to propose. Wonderful! Now you need a symbol of affection and connection. A […]

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