Diamond jewelry shopping can be an exciting and fun experience. The gemstones glimmer at you from the case and it can be hard to choose just the right one. If you’re looking for a diamond, remember the importance of learning about the 4Cs of diamond quality and getting an independent diamond grading report. A GIA diamond grading report provides an objective, unbiased assessment of the diamond’s 4Cs – and can help you make the right purchase decision.
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With the variety of diamond cuts available, it can be a challenge to select just the right one. In fact, you might even want to create your own unique style by combining two or more diamond shapes or cuts together in one engagement ring or piece of jewelry for a design that stands out from the others. Perhaps diamond cutters were thinking along similar lines when they combined cutting styles to create something new and unique – calling the result a radiant cut diamond. (more…)
Congratulations! You’ve begun shopping for a diamond engagement ring, or at least you’re starting to do your research. As you go through the process, you’re going to come across diamond terms and concepts, some that you never knew before. We want to make the diamond buying process easier for you. So, here’s a list of frequently used diamond engagement ring terms and their explanations, in one simple, handy cheat sheet.
The cushion cut diamond has a long history – it is one of the oldest diamond shapes and cutting styles – and is once again popular. In fact, it was the third most popular diamond shape in 2013 according to a survey conducted by The Knot.
The August birthstone is sometimes referred to as the extreme gem due to the fact that peridot is found in volcanic rock and meteorites. The word peridot comes from the Arabic faridat which means gem.
Do you have an August birthday and call peridot your birthstone? Celebrate this month in style with a look at one of the world’s finest peridot gems, The Green Goddess. (more…)
Imagine the diamond that is perfect for you. Is it a colorless and flawless round brilliant stunner? Perhaps you’re partial to a Fancy Vivid pink diamond? Or maybe you treasure an heirloom diamond jewelry piece with an old mine cut?
We have compiled a unique list of diamond inclusions that are so interesting and distinctive that they just might cause you to have second thoughts about your dream diamond.
“Shine bright like a diamond,” is a phrase that can be understood in a variety of ways, depending on the diamond light source. In fact, there’s often a noticeable change in how a diamond appears in sunlight, in candlelight, and under artificial light. This change proves the importance of understanding how light affects a diamond’s appearance.
It’s a pleasant September morning in the year 1622 and a majestic Spanish galleon sits in the port of Havana, along with 27 other ships of the combined fleet, their crews awaiting orders.
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha sits low in the water, weighed down by 964 silver bars, 161 gold bars or disks, 255,000 silver coins, and uncounted chests filled with undeclared (and untaxed) emeralds. Smugglers be warned: punishment is 200 lashes and ten years spent in chains, rowing a galleon.
Loyal? Patient? Dependable? If that sounds like you, then you’re probably a Taurus, and we have some jewelry to go with your birth sign. (more…)
If you love your jewelry, you’ll want it to always look as stunning as it did when it was new.
Ultrasonic cleaners can restore the beauty of your bejeweled treasures. These machines generate high-frequency sound waves that travel through water or a cleaning solution creating heat and pressure. Ultrasonic machines can effectively clean jewelry by dislodging dirt and debris from behind gems and other hard-to-reach places. (more…)
What makes a diamond famous? It may be its rarity or even its size. But more often than not, a diamond’s fame comes from its association with a person of historical influence. Learn about the world’s most famed diamonds, including those owned by the luminary Elizabeth Taylor, the British Royal Family, and the renowned Napoleon Bonaparte. With jewels such as these, April babies are honored to have the most beloved and sought after birthstone: the diamond. (more…)
March 2nd is a special day for us at GIA, jewelry aficionados, and those shopping for diamonds and diamond engagement rings: it’s the birthday of Richard T. Liddicoat (1918 – 2002) – the father of modern gemology, an inspiring teacher to thousands of jewelers, and a leader in the development of the GIA International Diamond Grading System™ and GIA diamond grading reports. (more…)