Readers’ Picks: The 10 Most-Read Stories of 2025

As a busy year for the jewelry and diamond industry draws to a close, we revisit the stories that drew the most readers in 2025.

The pieces that sparked the greatest interest ranged from a historical jewel sold at auction to the goings-on at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), which starred in half of the articles. De Beers and tariffs also nabbed spots in the top 10.

 Here are the stories that topped the charts in 2025:

1. Marie Antoinette Pink Diamond Tops Sold-Out Christie’s Auction

June 18

A JAR ring with a kite-shaped, 10.38-carat, fancy-purple-pink diamond believed to have belonged to Marie Antoinette stole the spotlight at the June 17 Magnificent Jewels sale at Christie’s in New York, where it doubled its estimate to achieve $14 million.

Key quote: “This season’s results highlight the tremendous demand for jewels of exceptional rarity, provenance and craftsmanship.” — Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry for Christie’s

2. Natural and Lab-Grown Diamonds Sent to GIA with Counterfeit Inscriptions

September 8

The GIA identified four natural and lab-grown diamonds submitted to its laboratory in Dubai for updated services as imposters carrying counterfeit inscriptions. An initial examination revealed inconsistencies in the font style and placement of the GIA markings, confirming the stones were not genuine, according to an article in the Fall issue of Gems & Gemology, the institute’s quarterly journal.

Key quote: “Considering all evidence, we concluded that two of the four stones were laboratory-grown diamonds, and the other two were HPHT-processed natural diamonds. All four diamonds were not the same natural diamonds as described in their accompanying GIA grading reports. In accordance with GIA procedures, the counterfeit inscriptions were crossed out and new report numbers were assigned.” — GIA

3. GIA Clarifies New Guidelines for Lab-Grown Certificates

August 27

The GIA revealed the details of its new grading criteria for lab-grown diamonds, saying it would start issuing certificates with the updated format on October 1. Under the new system, it uses the terms “Premium” and “Standard” to describe synthetics, rather than the usual GIA nomenclature.

Key quote: “Using descriptive terms for the quality of laboratory-grown diamonds is appropriate, as most fall into a very narrow range of color and clarity. Because of that, the GIA will no longer use the nomenclature created for natural diamonds to describe what is a manufactured product.” — GIA CEO Pritesh Patel

4. IGI Reiterates Intention to Treat Lab-Grown the Same as Natural

July 15

The International Gemological Institute (IGI) reiterated that it would continue to grade lab-grown diamonds using the same terminology as for natural stones, even as other laboratories revised their policies.

Key quote: “[The insitute] will continue applying the universal 4Cs grading to all diamonds, whether natural or lab-grown. This affirmation comes as many in the industry grapple with the unprecedented shift by others to a different, diluted scale for lab-grown diamonds sent to their locations.” — IGI

5. GIA Migrates Lab-Grown Terminology Away from That of Natural

June 3

The GIA announced it would revise the language it used on reports for lab-grown diamonds to differentiate them further from natural stones. Under the new system, GIA applies descriptive terminology to assess the quality of synthetic diamonds, categorizing submissions as either premium or standard based on a combination of color, clarity and finish criteria.

Key quote: “Similar to other man-made gem materials, we anticipate the continued acceptance and popularity of laboratory-grown diamonds. More than 95% of laboratory-grown diamonds entering the market fall into a very narrow range of color and clarity. Because of that, it is no longer relevant for GIA to describe man-made diamonds using the nomenclature created for the continuum of color and clarity of natural diamonds.”— Tom Moses, executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer at the GIA

6. Gemfields Recovers Massive 11,685ct. Emerald

August 26

Gemfields unveiled an 11,685-carat rough emerald it recovered in early August, marking the largest exceptional-quality gemstone ever produced at its Kagem mine in Zambia. The emerald, named Imboo — meaning “buffalo” in the local Bemba language — was the highlight of the company’s high-quality emerald auction that ran from August 25 to September 11.

Key quote: “Even under the beam of strong light that is necessary to illuminate a gemstone of this remarkable size, Imboo reveals an intense, verdant green touched with golden warmth, and a clarity that captivates the eye. It is easy to imagine Imboo giving rise to several fine-quality cut emeralds of significant size. Such a rare collection could form an entire high-jewelry suite from this single gemstone.” — Adrian Banks, managing director of product and sales at Gemfields

7. Diamond and Jewelry Trade Braces for Impact of US Tariffs

April 3

This story happened back in April when the US imposed a 10% tariff on imports from almost all countries. It applied higher duties on goods from select countries, including India, fueling concern and uncertainty across the diamond and jewelry industry. US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs would protect American workers and strengthen the nation’s economy.

Key quote: “It’s a panicky situation for the trade, for the exporters.” — Kirit Bhansali, chairman of India’s Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC)

8. GIA Examines 37ct. Bicolor Natural Rough Diamond

October 16

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) studied an unusually large, two-toned rough diamond weighing 37.41 carats, showing both pink and colorless areas. It was believed to have come from Botswana’s Karowe mine. The stones was received at the GIA’s lab in the country for further analysis. GIA noted that the rare bicolor specimen provided valuable insight into how pink diamonds form.

Key quote: “It is generally understood that pink color in diamonds results from significant stress causing a change in the diamond’s crystal structure, known as ‘plastic deformation.’ The pink section likely was initially colorless and then plastically deformed, perhaps by a mountain-forming event millions of years ago, resulting in its pink color, with the colorless section forming at a later time.” — Sally Eaton-Magaña, senior manager of diamond identification at the GIA in Carlsbad, California

9. De Beers Debuts DiamondProof for Rapid In-Store Diamond Testing  

February 24

De Beers Group introduced its DiamondProof device at select retail locations, offering quick verification of natural diamonds. The device identifies natural diamonds by detecting their unique chemical signatures, distinguishing them from lab-grown stones and simulants. Major jewelry retailers are already using the technology, which made a US debut following its launch at the JCK show in Las Vegas in June 2024, according to De Beers.

Key quote: “Natural diamonds and lab-grown diamonds are two fundamentally different products. Consumers should be able to have confidence in such a meaningful purchase, and DiamondProof allows retailers to offer them greater peace of mind.”  — De Beers Brands CEO Sandrine Conseiller

10. Natural Diamond’s UV Afterglow Prompts GIA to Check If It’s Synthetic

December 17

The GIA recently examined, in its Dubai laboratory, a natural oval, 2.50-carat, D-color, VS1-clarity diamond that reacted like a lab-grown stone when exposed to ultraviolet light. It had an unusual response to the deep-ultraviolet exposure: It displayed a strong phosphorescent glow and continued to emit light for more than a minute once the source was removed, according to an article in the fall issue of the institute’s quarterly Gems & Gemology journal.

Key quote: This case “demonstrates the intertwined relationships and complexity of features observed in both natural and laboratory-grown diamonds.” — GIA

Images: The Marie Antoinette pink diamond ring; A GIA lab-grown certificate; the 11,685-carat rough emerald; The bicolor natural rough diamond. (Christie’s/Gemological Institute of America/Gemfields)