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Fragility of the Eternal
by Jourdan Block
Kunzite is the pink to violetish purple variety of spodumene. Seen here is a 14,750 carat kunzite crystal. It was eventually carved into a 3,051 c...
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It Isn't Always Black and White
by Jourdan Block
Natural Fancy white and Fancy black diamonds are not routinely submitted to GIA for grading (fewer than 2,000 since 2008). These fancy-color diamo...
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Think Pink
by Jourdan Block
This ring features a 3.43 carat diamond graded IF, Fancy Vivid purplish pink by GIA. This pink diamond is unusual in that it also has strong blue f...
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The Gem that Made Ruby Famous
by Jourdan Block
Red spinel has been called “the gem that made ruby famous," because before people could tell gems apart using science, people thought ruby and spin...
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Tanzanite’s Pleochroic Colors
by Jourdan Block
Tanzanite, one of December's birthstones, is a rare blue-to-violet or purple zoisite found only at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Its c...
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South Sea Pearls
by Jourdan Block
South Sea pearls are the largest type of cultured pearls. This strand of golden South Sea pearls belonging to GIA's collection range from 13.1 to 1...
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Fantasy Cuts
by Jourdan Block
Once upon a time, the job of a lapidary was to cut a gemstone while preserving as much weight as possible. Then in the 1970s Bernd Munsteiner inven...
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The Blue Moon
by Jourdan Block
The Blue Moon, a 29.62 carat (ct) blue diamond crystal, was discovered at the Cullinan mine in South Africa in 2014. It was eventually faceted into...
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Bicolor Rough Diamond Crystals
by Jourdan Block
The GIA laboratory in Antwerp regularly receives pink diamond crystals for examination as part of the Diamond Origin Report. This recent service h...
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The Midnight Stone
by Jourdan Block
Discovered in San Diego County in 1902, kunzite is a relative newcomer to the gem scene. It is known for its delicate pink to violetish purple colo...
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A Cultured Gem
by Jourdan Block
Kokichi Mikimoto, widely considered the father of cultured pearls, was the first person to produce cultured blister pearls in Japan in 1893. Twelve...
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A Diamond-Shaped Diamond Inclusion
by Jourdan Block
GIA scientists recently examined a D color, 0.53 carat round brilliant diamond with a cloud inclusion that looks like the profile of a faceted roun...
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