GIA Education

This spectacular 75.61 carat Colombian emerald (which had been a 107.67 carat rectangular emerald before it was recut in 1954) was part of Catherine the Great's collection of jewels. It was said that the Russian empress put on emeralds before tough meetings with generals; the tougher the meeting, the more emeralds she wore. Another female leader who used emeralds to impress and signal her wealth and power - Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile. The first known emerald mines were in Egypt, and Cleopatra was said to have draped herself in emeralds and gifted them to foreign dignitaries and diplomats. Photo: Russell Shor/GIA. Courtesy: Christie's

How was the Cave of Crystals in Chihuahua, Mexico, formed? Around 26 million years ago, magma pushed upward through the earth creating a limestone mountain near what is now the town of Naica. This forced hot, mineral-rich fluids into caverns and fissures, and it was from these waters that the giant crystals of Naica grew. Upon the cave's discovery in 2000, researchers from around the world including Leela Hutchison, GIA GG flocked to the cave to see its wonder firsthand, braving the cave's extreme heat and humidity. Since then, the mine providing access to the cave has flooded, preventing further exploration and leaving the magnificence of these crystals undisturbed. Learn more: https://bit.ly/2Q6FIbU Courtesy: Leela Hutchison

The 118.78 carat (ct) Graff Venus, a D-Flawless heart-shape diamond, was crafted from a 357 ct rough diamond crystal found at Letšeng, a mine jointly owned by the Kingdom of Lesotho and Gem Diamonds Ltd. At 10,000 feet (over 3,000 meters) above sea level, Letšeng is one of the highest-altitude diamond mines in the world. Temperatures can drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit during winter. Despite these challenges, mining there has proven worthwhile. Several large, high-quality diamonds have emerged from this mine, including the 910 ct Lesotho Legend, the 603 ct Lesotho Promise, the 550 ct Letšeng Star and the 493 ct Letšeng Legacy, among others. Diamonds from this mine yield the highest per carat value of any mine in the world! Image 2 shows scenery from the kingdom of Lesotho. (1) Courtesy: Graff; (2) Photo: Edwin Remsberg/Getty Images.

A delicious find. In September, 2020, 25-year-old Kettisak Kitphiar from Rayong Province, Thailand, found a 55.10-carat melo pearl in the meat of a melo species sea snail after cooking two shells that he purchased from a local market. Melo pearls are incredibly rare and desirable, in part because culturing them has never succeeded in the way it has with some commercially produced nacreous pearls. Most melo pearls fall into the yellowish orange to orange range and may be modif...ied by brown, but orange is the most sought-after color. Instead of an overtone or orient, they possess a fine porcelain-like surface, often exhibiting gleaming, flame-like patterns. This feature, combined with their distinctive color and often impressive size, makes them stand out in the pearl world. Melo pearls can form in any shape. Round, near-round and symmetrically oval or drop pearls are the most sought-after. The pearl that Kitphiar found is oval, which adds to its rarity. The right images in Image 1 show the pearl's flame-like structure, the bottom left shows the sea snails that Kettisak purchased for a little over US$5 each. Who knew that eating seafood could result in a once-in-a-lifetime find? Courtesy: Kettisak Kitphiar See more

Did you know that sapphire symbolizes truth, nobility and represents the heavens? Historically, it was favored by royalty and the clergy for these associations. This sapphire and diamond demi-parure dates back to 1870 and once belonged to Marie Bonaparte, a great-grandniece of Emperor Napoleon I of France. Its creator was Mellerio dits Meller, a French jewelry house founded in 1613 under the patronage of Marie de' Medici that claims to be the oldest family-run company in Europe. Clients of this house over the centuries have included Queen Marie Antoinette, Empress Josephine and others. Although the source of the sapphires in this necklace is not necessarily known, many sapphires used in royal jewelry during this time came from Sri Lanka. Courtesy: Sotheby's

Happy 90th to us! Ninety years ago today, Robert M. Shipley first founded GIA. Since then, we’ve established gemology as a recognized science, created the 4Cs, patented the first gemological microscope, expanded to 10 countries and educated over 365,000 students all in pursuit of our mission to protect the public. Our spirit of innovation and discovery continues to drive us as we revolutionize diamond grading through AI technology, continue our ground-breaking research and use the latest technology to educate the students who are the future of the industry. Here’s a look back on some of the moments that shaped our Institute. Cheers to the next 90 years!

A GIA love story. Lindsay Jane and Greg Chatham came from different backgrounds - Lindsay Jane wanted to become an architect, while Greg was in the Army and part of Special Forces - but their love for gems brought them together at GIA. After working at a family friend’s jewelry store, Lindsay Jane decided to explore her newfound passion for gemstones and design. While purchasing lapis for his mom during his deployment in Afghanistan, Greg became interested in identifying and ...dealing quality gems. Their paths converged at the Graduate Gemology program at GIA’s Carlsbad campus where Lindsay Jane received a full scholarship and where the two of them met and fell in love. Soon after, Greg sourced a 6+ carat unheated Padparadscha sapphire from Asia, and Lindsay designed a ring with it and submitted it to the AGTA Spectrum Awards. The ring placed second in the award’s Classical category, and from there, Greg and Lindsay’s careers in acquiring rare gems and designing jewelry took off. Lindsay Jane has gone on to win 8 Spectrum Awards! Years later, their GIA instructor, Carson Lee, officiated their wedding. Seen here are Lindsay Jane’s opal and zoisite earrings that she wore for her wedding and her purple sapphire engagement ring, both of which were Spectrum Award winners. Now, they run a successful jewelry store, K.Jons, in San Luis Obispo County, California. Courtesy: (Images 1,3,5) Lindsay Jane and Greg Chatham; (Image 2) Sara Rey Photography; (Image 4) AGTA See more

We've been sharing gem knowledge and treasures with you all year, some of which were from our private collection. Now we want to see what you've got! What is the most unusual pink or red stone that you own? It can be loose or set in a piece of jewelry. We want to know the gem’s size, variety, cut, country of origin, unique features and/or backstory. Post a picture and tag us for a chance to be featured in our stories! Courtesy of Argyle Pink Diamonds

Realize the career of your dreams in gems and jewelry with a full or partial scholarship. Apply by March 31st. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3abDbVs

Happy Lunar New Year! Seen here is a ravishing brooch in the shape of a Chinese pipa (a four-stringed Chinese lute). It is set with a 100.02 carat Fancy Intense yellow diamond and can be worn as part of the Dunhuang Pipa necklace. The designer, Taiwanese native Anna Hu, was inspired by images of women playing the pipa depicted on murals in Dunhuang, once an oasis town along the Silk Road. I want this collection to speak to my Chinese roots," Hu said, "and I thought the beaut...y of jewels could be enhanced with a touch of the traditional yet exotic music that once flowed through the Silk Road." The Dunhuang Pipa necklace sold for US$5.78 million in 2019. Image 2 shows a mural from the Mogao caves in Dunhuang. The mural depicts a dancer surrounded by musicians. The dancer holds a large pipa while the musician in the lower right corner holds a smaller one. This mural dates back to roughly A.D.762-827. Courtesy: (Image 1) Sotheby's; (Image 2) Public Domain See more

A golden gift - in more ways than one. Angelina Jolie and jewelry designer Robert Procop donated this citrine necklace to the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection in 2015. It features 64 cushion cut citrines and a stunning 177.11 carat pear-shaped citrine pendant set in 18K gold. Called the "Jolie Citrine Necklace," it is housed in the same hall that contains the Hope Diamond and the Star of Asia sapphire. Jolie designed this necklace in collaboration with Procop as part of the Style of Jolie collection. Proceeds from the sales of jewelry in this collection are donated to the Education Partnership for Children in Conflict, which builds schools for children in conflict-affected areas. The first few schools were built in Afghanistan. Courtesy: RP Studio

Despite Covid, these rockstars keep on shining. This 102.39 carat D-Flawless oval diamond fetched US$15.7 million at auction this October. One hundred-carat diamonds as a rule are exceedingly rare, said Quig Bruning, head of Sotheby’s jewelry department in New York. One hundred-carat D flawless are even more rare. This Type IIa diamond was cut from a 271-carat rough discovered in the Victor Mine in Ontario, Canada. Photo: ANGELA WEISS. Courtesy: AFP via Getty Images

Happy Halloween! Meet Greggory, a life-sized carving of a human skull, with a cranium and a separate mandible, crafted out of 25,189 carats of smoky quartz from Brazil! Smoky quartz is a brown to sometimes nearly black variety of quartz whose color is caused by radiation induced crystalline defects called color centers. It often exists in large sizes, which enables designers to get creative in carving sculptures out of them. Another creative use for smoky quartz - supposedly, the Chinese used to use panes of smoky quartz as sunglasses! Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA Collection

Dreams into reality. Fantasy cutting allows lapidary artists to let their imaginations run wild. As opposed to traditional faceting styles, fantasy cutting uses non-traditional design elements such as grooves, disks, and concave facets on the back of gemstones. Light is then reflected and refracted in stunning displays, as with this 64 carat amethyst from Bahia, Brazil, drawing the viewer into a fantasy realm. Learn more about gem carvings and fantasy cuts in the spring issue of G&G: https://bit.ly/3kNyvrG. Photo: Kevin Schumacher/GIA. Courtesy: Nick Alexander, Alexanders Jewelers.

Do you believe in curses? Besides its large size and intriguing color, one of the Black Orlov diamond's claims to fame is being cursed. The colorful story that has arisen around this gem is largely unsubstantiated, but it's a fascinating one nonetheless. According to legend, the 67.50 carat Black Orlov (originally 195 cts), also known as the Eye of Brahma, was discovered in the early 1800s in India, set as one of the eyes in a statue of the Hindu god Brahma in Pondicherry. It... was stolen and eventually made its way into the hands of a New York gem dealer and then two Russian princesses (the stone is said to be named after one of them). According to this tale, all three owners met grim ends. The curse was (supposedly) broken when a diamond dealer bought the gem and cut it into three smaller pieces, the present Black Orlov being the largest of them. Curses aside, natural-color black diamonds are extraordinary because they are colored by graphite, pyrite, or hematite inclusions that make them notoriously difficult to cut and facet. See more

We're falling for (and trippin' over) this gem. Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice lattes, cozy socks, apple cider and this orange fantasy cut imperial topaz. Did you know? During the 19th century, mines in Russia’s Ural Mountains were a leading source of topaz. The finest material was named imperial to honor the Russian czars and only the royal family could own it. Guess the Russian czars fell for it, too! Photo: Robert Weldon. Courtesy: Gems By Design, Inc. Kent, OH

Gems and jewelry are more than just beautiful. For millennia, they’ve been fraught with symbolism thought to contain medicinal powers and be able to ward off evil or bring their wearer joy and good fortune. Some jewels, on the other hand, are the opposite and are rumored to be cursed! Join our GIA Knowledge Sessions webinar tomorrow at 10 a.m. PDT as Senior Research Librarian Rose Tozer explores the beliefs and superstitions people have held about gems and jewelry throughout history. Learn about cursed gems, mourning jewelry, charms, amulets, jewelry symbols, such as the evil eye, and animal motifs, such as bats, scarabs, snakes, skulls, spiders and more! Register now: https://bit.ly/2G8a9dd

When these purple opals were sent to the GIA laboratory in Carlsbad, our scientists immediately suspected they had been dyed. Purple opal exists but it’s opaque and not known to display play-of-color like these specimens do. One of these opals was soaked in acetone and after 54 hours, the acetone turned light purple. After further testing, GIA scientists concluded these 'purple opals' are dyed hydrophane opals from Wollo, Ethiopia. Hydrophane opals are porous and readily absorb water. In fact, they sometimes feel sticky when held because they try to draw moisture from the skin. Their liquid-loving nature means their color can easily be changed with dye. Want to learn more about how GIA uncovered the truth about these opals? https://bit.ly/34DvtRn Photo: Robert Weldon/ GIA

Pumpkin spice and everything nice. Nothing says fall like pumpkins (or the Pumpkin Diamond). The 5.54-carat, Fancy Vivid orange Pumpkin Diamond was auctioned off on Halloween Eve in 1997 to Harry Winston, who purchased it for $1.3 million. Discovered in the Central African Republic (reportedly by a farmer), it was initially an unassuming, brown-looking rough. A diamond purveyor bought it on a leap of faith. In the hands of the right cutter, its stunning orange color was revealed! Photo: Shane McClure/ GIA

A sinister glow? The Hope diamond (R) and the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond (L) are two renowned blue diamonds that glow red under UV light. One of them - the Hope - is rumored to be cursed. The curse is said to have started when a thief stole the Hope from the brow of a temple idol in India. Since then, many of the diamond's owners, from King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to Evelyn Walsh McLean, have met tragic fates. The curse was said to have broken when Harry Winston donated... the gem to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958. Visitors can now see this magnificent and unusual diamond in person. Just don't get too close! The Wittelsbach-Graff diamond, said to be from the same mine in India as the Hope diamond, seems to have escaped this curse. Learn about famous diamonds that GIA has graded https://bit.ly/35uYQ7o. Courtesy: Smithsonian Institution (Hope Diamond) & Graff (Wittelsbach Diamond) See more

A mineral from the stars? One of the most popular diamond substitutes is lab-grown moissanite (silicon carbide). Moissainte was first discovered in nature by French chemist Henri Moissan in a crater in Canyon Diablo, Arizona in 1893 (although it had been grown in a lab two years before). This natural moissanite was likely brought from outer space by the asteroid that created the crater! At first, Moissan mistook the mineral for diamond, but in 1904, he correctly identified it... as silicon carbide. The mineral was eventually named "moissanite" after him. Moissanite is never found in large enough size or high enough clarity in nature for jewelry use. But high-quality lab-grown moissanites are produced in labs and are popular in both their colorless and colored forms. With incredible brilliance and fire and high hardness, it is closer to diamond in its physical properties than any other diamond substitute. Don't worry about not being able to tell lab-grown moissanite and diamond apart, though! One easy way to distinguish them is to look inside the gem. You will see a doubling of lab-grown moissanite's back facets (some people say this makes the inside of the stone look blurry), while diamond doesn't show doubling. The stunning bluish-green stone seen in this image is the 27.15 carat "Birth of the Star" lab-grown moissanite faceted by Victor Tuzlukov. What do you think? Is it a stellar gem? Photo: Robert Weldon. Courtesy: Victor Tuzlukov See more

A closer look at diamond impact. The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) is made up of 7 of the world's leading diamond companies. Together, they employ 77,000 people who earn 66% more than their national averages. At least $292 million of profits goes directly towards social programs such as education and healthcare. NDC members protect 1,023 miles of land, 3 times the amount of land used in mining, and recycle 83% of water used for diamond mining. The public desire for transparency is helping to make the impact of the diamond industry crystal clear. Photo: Lucian Coman. Courtesy: Lucara Diamonds

Now you see me... This 3.02 carat beauty is a contra luz opal from Ethiopia. The play-of-color of this shy gem only manifests itself under transmitted light. In fact, contra luz means "against the light" in Spanish. While it might not display its full magnificence under most lighting situations, under transmitted light, contra luz opal is truly a delight! Courtesy: Uniquegems from OpalAuctions.com