natural-diamonds

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.

IGI has resumed classes in Istanbul, again providing Middle East residents with training and paths to careers in the diamond, gem, and jewelry industry. Students from Turkey, Syria, and Iran attended the first classes to recommence last month.

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.

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.

Mother Nature continues to amaze and delight us. Just as mankind seems to have “cracked the code” on the complexities of diamond creation up here, in our laboratories, she smiles and presents more earthly mysteries we have yet to solve.

Sir Gabriel (Gabi) Tolkowsky, one of the most accomplished diamond cutters of all time, has passed away at the age of 84. Knighted by the Belgian government in 2002 for service and contributions to the jewelry industry, Sir Gabi was trusted with cutting some of the world’s most iconic diamonds.

Take note of IGI’s daily schedule for the upcoming JCK show, where we will offer onsite diamond screening and grading, provide education at two “JCK Talks” sessions, conduct demos and host happy hours daily, and provide information to attendees at two separate booth locations.

Feriel Zerouki, a trailblazer in the diamond industry, made history last week as she officially assumed the role of president of the World Diamond Council (WDC). She becomes the first woman to hold this highly regarded position.

During the first international version of the IGI D Show in Dubai, May 5-7, 2023, CNBC India’s Manisha Gupta discussed diamond industry developments with IGI Global CEO Roland Lorie, and Tehmasp Printer, President of IGI India.

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.”

David Gotlib, a third-generation diamantaire, has been re-elected Chairman of the Antwerp Diamond Bourse, an organization that has promoted and safeguarded the interests of Antwerp’s diamond industry for the past 120 years.

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.

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.

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.

On June 8 “The Eternal Pink” diamond will go to auction as part of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale in New York. Its pre-sale estimate of more than $3.3 million per-carat is the largest pre-carat estimate ever placed on a diamond or gemstone, according to the auction house.

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.

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.

Christie’s is preparing for what may be a record-breaking jewelry sale featuring The World of Heidi Horten, a two-part live auction boasting over 700 pieces of exquisite high jewelry from the estate of the late European collector.

Bonhams’ recorded ‘perfect’ sales of all 119 items at their aptly named ‘Perfect Jewelry Box’ auction in New York earlier this month. Every lot offered found a buyer, resulting in a total of 8.1 million dollars.

A selection of chic, wearable jewelry goes on the block at Sotheby’s Paris this coming Tuesday, March 21st, in a two part sale featuring 347 lots. Of particular note in this sale are pieces incorporating natural pearls.

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.

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.