It’s the largest faceted lab-grown blue the Gemological Institute of America’s ever studied, and it received a color grade of fancy deep.
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The International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research now has a greater geographic reach, and also will accept non-Forevermark stones.

Amanda Gizzi’s Style File is a new weekly feature that will highlight trends in jewelry. The first installment pays homage to the late, great Cindy Edelstein and her passion for beautiful pieces.

This week, jewelers in Indiana took a public stance on a recently passed religious freedom law while the late Lauren Bacall’s jewelry and other personal items were auctioned at Bonhams.

Sotheby’s announced it would be selling the world’s largest D flawless emerald-cut diamond later this month while lawyers in California filed to bring a class action lawsuit against Zale.

Now here’s a trendy trend that seems to have long legs.

Perusing the cases and displays at jewelry stores, customers generally expect to see staple metals: 18-karat gold, silver, platinum, perhaps titanium or palladium.

A four-strand natural colored pearl necklace sold for a record price at Christie’s this week, while bead and jewelry brand Pandora announced the launch of a North American marketing campaign.

Big diamonds dominated the headlines this week, with Sotheby’s selling a 100-carat, internally flawless D color diamond for $22 million and two mining companies reporting big rough finds.

Today’s shoppers, while appreciative of the pearls that have been used in jewelry created generations before them, are looking to designers to give them an updated, stylish look to go with contemporary fashions.

Fringe was one of the biggest fashion hits on the spring 2015 runways and now it has hit the jewelry world in a big way too.

It was a busy week at home and abroad in the jewelry industry.

The most popular of the beryl family and a stone that’s been beloved for ages, the emerald continues to be in demand as supply keeps up and pricing heads toward a more stable structure.
While Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline remains in high demand, skyrocketing prices and dwindling supply have led to an uptick in interest in the cuprian tourmaline coming out of Africa.

A court in Denmark has fined Pandora 2 million Danish krone (about $333,000) for waiting too long to warn investors that it anticipated a drop in revenue.
The Danish brand announced Tuesday that it has dropped 116 more mostly-U.S.-based retailers from its distribution network in the Americas.
After serving as president of the association for the past 14 years, Dione Kenyon is set to retire sometime in 2016, dependent on when the organization finds and transitions a replacement.
In her latest diary entry, designer Jacqueline Stone ponders the potential ROI on getting Kate Winslet to glide down in the red carpet in a piece of her jewelry.

As Tanzania and Kenya move to have the export of all rough banned, both will need to focus on growing their cutting industries. Associate Editor Brecken Branstrator talks to a few people who are playing a part in that.
The latest statistics from the Jewelers Board of Trade show that in the United States, 760 retail jewelers/repairers ceased operations in 2015, up from 612 in 2014.

Though iolite is not as well-known as similar gems as supply of fine quality material remains an issue, a slight uptick in demand and its affordability could mean good things for the colored stone.

Dione Kenyon, Stewart Wicht and Hank Siegel all will be honored at the organization’s annual dinner this summer in New York.
The luxury industry veteran, who has been named the company’s Northeast key account manager, has worked at Pandora, Lalique and Waterford.
The aim of the campaign is not only to raise awareness about the American Gem Society but also to drive consumers to its “Find a Jeweler” website feature.