The International Gemological Institute (IGI) is conducting a polished diamond course in Kochi, Kerala. IGI spreads knowledge among the gem and jewelry industry. It is a short term practical grading program educate trainers on ins and outs of diamond grading, diamond 4C’s, treatment, synthetics, pricing and includes lab sessions and lectures. This polished diamond course helps participants to develop diamond knowledge, evaluate and identify the diamonds as per international standard.

Mr. Ramit Kapur, general manager of IGI says that Kerala is a gold dominated market for years and the course on diamond evaluation gives industry a boost and confidence to introduce diamonds in ever ending to consumers. IGI commit itself to provide regular programs in the state which has tremendous potential.

Since 1999, IGI is conducting professional grading courses across India and so far 8700 students have been trained in professional grading as per professional standards.

CIBJO report aims to gain industry agreement on nomenclature distinguish between natural and synthetic diamonds.

The diamond commission of CIBJO, the world jewelry confederation has released its annual report aiming to reach industry-wide agreement on classification that acutely distinguish natural and synthetic diamonds. Prior to 2010 CIBJO congress, scheduled February 19 in Munich Germany, the report has been released. Within the preceding days of the congress, the president and vice president of the diamond commission Udi Sheintal and Jon Phillips will meet the representatives of the international diamond council in London to ascertain the joint set of nomenclature for synthetic and natural diamonds created. “The participants concurring the lack of an agreed to nomenclature for diamonds – natural and synthetic will ultimately affect the consumer confidence negatively across the globe”, they wrote in the report.

At 2009 CIBJO congress in Istanbul, the organization decided not to affect any changes in the nomenclature created for gem quality synthetic diamonds. Finalizing the result as – CIBJO permitted only one descriptor i.e. “synthetic”, not any of the additional terms such as “man-made, laboratory grown, laboratory created or company name created”.

Also, the diamond commission report looks at the distortion of diamonds in the mass media, flight magazines and sales catalogue. Without a common joint directive from the major organizations such as WFDB, IDMA, IDC and CIBJO, the offenders will continue with argument that the nomenclature is clear and therefore ineffective, the author states.

The diamond commission report also features the study conducted by the Accredited Gemmologists Association (AGA) to look into the impact of lighting on color grading colorless diamonds. It was established in response to the gemmologists and appraisers claim that colorless diamonds exhibit blue fluorescence were been over graded by gem testing laboratories.

Braised Pork

The world’s largest gemstone “braised pork” is kept for public display on January 27 in an antique shop at Central China’s Luoyang City, Henan Province.

A gemstone weighing 23 kg was found by Mr. Li from Yu Bao Xuan in a river across Funiushan Mountain in Henan Province.

The stone has a clear multilayered structure and bears a striking resemblance to a piece of braised pork with hairs and pores on the surface and it looks like a muscle tissue and leg bone.

The gemstone is exhibited in its natural state and it has been not polished or cut to improve its appearance. The braised pork is translated as “yellow wax stone”. It is composed of silicified andesite and silicified siltstone with oil like surface and waxy texture. The gem found in the southern china guangxi and Guangdong provinces. The stone is exhibited at the international cultural industries fair which will be held in the month of May.

The exhibitor from yu bao xuan antique shop says that this is the largest braised pork gemstone in the world and it is the second largest held at the national palace museum in Taiwan and is valued at 130 million Yuan (Approximately US $19 million).

In 1958, at Brussels world exhibition, the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond was displayed in public. For some time, the stone disappeared and remains mystery until Laurence Graff, a billionaire diamond dealer bought it at auction in 2008.

Wittelsbach Graff Diamond

Laurence and his son Francois were in the gallery of Smithsonian national museum of natural history, Washington DC as the blue stone was brought from the secret vault.

He says that, over the years, I am privileged to own some of the world famous and important diamonds. But, among the list Wittelsbach-Graff is the most valuable and the most beautiful diamond.

Under ultraviolet light, the diamond has orange hue

Sitting plain on a silky white cloth, the diamond glitters grey and blue in the low light. As it classed as internally flawless, it is said that the gem has a exceptional color and viewed under ultraviolet light, the diamond has orange hue.

Originally, the stone valued at around $15 m, but Mr. Graff paid more than $25m. He re-cut, polished and reduced its 35.5 carats to 31 carats.

He says that, I decided to create beauty or acts of beauty, but it’s not a sin. I just removed the blemishes and enhanced the true perfection in the diamond. They brought the true color of the stone without changing the faceting or shape.

The rarity of the diamond, its history will continue. Every diamond that ever mined, polished and cut is still with us. It’s story unknown. The stone gather some stories, mysterious stories, intriguing stories, but at the end of the day the true beauty of the stone will remain. That will always be the best story, says Graff.

Wittelsbach-Graff originated in India. In 1664, Philip IV of Spain gave it to his daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa to celebrate her engagement. In 1772, the gem acquired its name by passing to the Wittelsbach family of the house of Bavaria. After World War I, it becomes republic and the crown jewels including diamond were sold. For the next hundred years, it seen rarely.

Jeffrey Post, curator of the Smithsonian National Gem Collection told that “probably the world has never seen the most famous diamond”. Wittelsbach was secretly transported to the museum in night, before a week for display.

Mr. Post and some of the nations leading diamond experts spent time to examine and compare the wittelsbach Graff with the legendary hope, the world’s largest blue diamond at 45.52 carats, and the star of the national gem collection.

It is considered that the two gems may have the same crystal, but the test proved it is negative. Though, they share considerable resemblance and come from the same place, the hope diamond and Wittelsbach-Graff are more likely distant cousins.

Wittelsbach-Graff will be exhibited besides the Hope at the Smithsonian national museum of natural history until august. Later, its future is uncertain.

Laurence Graff says afterwards, it moves to London Natural history museum. But it could also be sold – so its future is uncertain.

The gemological institute of America has announced a new diamond sorting services for D to Z Color diamonds between 0.15 and 0.99 carats with an intension of helping the clients to save the fees.

The purpose of this service is to reduce the cost by providing the grading reports on the diamonds that fall within the color and clarity parameters specified by the clients. The grading report fee is not charged for the single stone submitted.

To qualify for the diamond sorting service, the clients should submit the stones in bulk. There should be minimum of 50 stones and a total parcel weight for the stones is required. Stones can be packed together, there is no need of parceling the stones individually. A representative should be contacted in advance for consignment of more than 1000 stones.

The new diamond sorting service is based on sorting the diamond color and clarity parameters.

Stones that meet the client’s color and clarity criteria will continue the GIA grading and testing process and receive a GIA diamond dossier or GIA diamond grading report for which standard grading and service fees apply. If stones doest not meet the criteria, they will not be tested or graded for treatments or synthetics. But a $10 will be charged as a handling fee for the service.

The GIA’s new diamond sorting service will be available initially at GIA laboratory in Carlsbad with other labs phasing the service in shortly. Clients can submit their stones to any GIA Lab Worldwide for shipping to Carlsbad and enjoy the advantage of the services. Stones are subject to local custom restrictions.