The diamond industry just witnessed a historic shift. A couple of weeks ago, De Beers held its first sight of the cycle, and it looked radically different from anything we have seen in past years. After years of holding rough-diamond values artificially high, De Beers cut its official prices, downsized its distribution network to align with modern market realities, and shifted away from moving massive volumes and toward offering smaller boxes containing higher-quality rough.

Last week, a ring was received in the laboratory featuring a noteworthy laser-drilled diamond. The drill hole exits through the table of the stone, extending a considerable length to a small red-toned crystal easily visible under 10x magnification. crystal inclusion This technique is used to enhance a stone's clarity by using infrared lasers to drill microscopic holes directly into the targeted inclusions. The inclusion can then be bleached in a sulfuric acid solution, thereb

PGS had the pleasure of welcoming jewelry journalist Jennifer Heebner to Chicago this past week, following her trip to the Tucson Gem Show. Jewelers and enthusiasts alike gathered for her talk at the Maller's Building to learn about upcoming trends for 2026. Heebner has been covering the jewelry industry for over 25 years, tracking and predicting trends in the industry. She served as senior editor for JCK magazine for 19 years and now serves as editor in chief of AGTA's Prism

This ring was submitted to the laboratory and upon examination we noticed a natural ‘part of the skin’ of the diamond. On the pavilion, you can see what is sometimes referred to as a ‘hopper’.

PGS Laboratory recently completed a study of lab-grown fancy yellow and orange diamonds produced by Gemesis Corporation. The research offered a deeper look into the HPHT growth process, revealing a range of distinctive features unique to these stones. The following photomicrographs highlight several of the study’s key findings.

The laboratory recently photographed an outstanding collection of Demantoid garnets from Russia’s famed Ural Mountains, known for producing some of the gem’s finest colors. Though new production is minimal, stones from this historic source still appear on the market through second-hand channels. We had the pleasure to do a photographic study on a fine collection of Demantoid garnets from the classic deposit in the Ural Mountains of Russia. This deposit has long been lauded fo

The jewelry market is witnessing a renewed appreciation for traditional wedding pieces, especially simple gold wedding bands. Younger, eco-conscious brides are choosing responsibly sourced “virgin” gold, prioritizing conflict-free origins as part of their commitment to meaningful, ethical unions. In diamond bridal sets, white metals continue to dominate, but pink tones are steadily gaining traction as modern couples seek softer, more expressive alternatives. ​ Vintage Coral e

featuring Christopher Duquet Fine Jewelry Design C hristopher Duquet is a jewelry designer in the city of Evanston. His shop produces one-of-a-kind and limited-edition works of fine jewelry. Christopher has won several national awards for design and is currently working on a new series scheduled to debut this fall called Facing East. This collection is inspired by ancient Edo (modern-day Tokyo) which became renowned for its artistic achievements in painting, printma