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Planning to give someone a diamond for Valentine's Day? (flaivoloka via stock.xchng)

While budgeting remains a priority in the new year, consumers continue to celebrate holidays, birthdays and anniversaries with gifts of jewelry. And with around 10 percent of engagements occurring on or around Valentine’s Day, the most romantic holiday of the year sees a fair share of diamonds and colored gemstones.

Valentine’s Day has worldwide appeal, and the practice of gift giving is celebrated in Australia, Britain, China, Ghana, India, South Africa and more. In Mexico, heart-shaped and red-themed gifts appear immediately after the Christmas holiday. Japanese women bestow small gifts such as chocolate on Valentine’s Day; the men return the favor a month later on White Day by handing out jewelry and other gifts to loved ones.

GIA (Gemological Institute of America), recognized as a worldwide leader in diamonds, gemstones and pearls and the creator of the famous 4Cs (Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat weight), as well as the International Diamond Grading System™, has six tips to help consumers find their ideal piece of diamond jewelry.

The GIA are world-renowned experts in diamonds (IDI)

Do the research: Familiarity with the 4Cs of diamond quality is a crucial element in speaking the language of diamonds. A recommended starting point for learning about the 4Cs is GIA’s iPad application (app), which helps educate consumers on diamonds, and is downloadable for free on iTunes. The app is also available in Simplified Chinese.

Choose a qualified jeweler: Consumers should select a jeweler as carefully as they would a doctor, lawyer or any other trained professional. Find someone who is credentialed, such as a GIA Graduate Gemologist. Take note of their affiliations with jewelry industry groups and professional associations.

Ask for an independent diamond grading report: A diamond grading report details the gemological quality of the diamond. It tells whether the stone is natural or synthetic, if it has been treated - and how, and its quality rankings in each of the 4Cs. Verification of information contained in any GIA diamond grading report can be attained by going to Report Check, GIA’s secure online database, or by accessing it directly through the GIA 4Cs app.

Keep the purchase secure: Have the diamond appraised and insured. A diamond grading report is the independent assessment of quality; while an appraisal gives a monetary value. A personal message or the report number can be laser-inscribed on the diamond’s outer edge, called the girdle, to help identify it if it’s ever lost or stolen.

Purchase the stone loose and have the ring set later: If someone is unsure what their future fiancé prefers in a ring, one option is to purchase a loose diamond and decide on the mounting together later. Make sure to have the loose stone graded.

Consider the alternatives: Colored gemstones and pearls make unique and memorable alternatives for celebrating special occasions. With the union of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and celebrities such as Penelope Cruz, Jessica Simpson and Carrie Underwood, colored gemstones are increasingly popular in the engagement ring world. Consumers should look for independent reports for colored gemstones and pearls, also available through GIA.

A gift of jewelry is an outward expression of what people mean to one another. Consumers can ensure they receive the most value for their purchase by learning more about diamonds at www.gia.edu.

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Air Force Staff Sgt. Theresa Allen wins $10,000 in Helzberg Heroes contest. (PRNewsFoto/Helzberg Diamonds)

It's that time of year - the holidays always spark a flurry of feel-good stories. Whether it's diamond jewelry being donated anonymously to charities or diamond companies donating to worthy causes, the end of the year will almost always see you wiping tears from your eyes.

A US diamond company is doing its part to spread holiday cheer. Helzberg Diamonds has announced the grand prize winner of its Helzberg Heroes contest, a special military-related program launched to demonstrate the company's love and appreciation for the service given by active duty soldiers, veterans and their families. Helzberg Diamonds awarded the $10,000 grand prize to Staff Sergeant Theresa Allen from Vail, Ariz., based on her entry; she will receive a $10,000 Helzberg Diamonds gift card. Theresa is an active-duty military member based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

In honor of Veteran's Day, the Helzberg Heroes contest asked military members and their families to share their best "I Am Loved" stories on a company website. The stories ranged from special moments of how communities support their local heroes to how soldiers express their love for their families while deployed.

"My husband and I have been through so much apart, but we've always managed to keep our love strong. This prize will help us celebrate all we have been through and all of the love we still have to give," said SSgt Theresa Allen, Helzberg Heroes winner. "We thank Helzberg Diamonds for not just honoring the love between my husband and me, but the love shared among all military families."

SSgt Allen's grand-prize winning story explained how she and her now husband used building blocks of listening, encouragement and love, paired with a block of wood, to stay connected when military service kept them apart. Her entry is featured on the company's Facebook page. SSgt Allen will be deployed on her third tour of duty to an undisclosed location later this month.

"Military support is an important part of Helzberg's heritage. More than 30 years ago, the company showed support for soldiers serving in Southeast Asia by sending them our iconic 'I Am Loved' buttons," said Beryl Raff, Chairman and CEO of Helzberg Diamonds. "This new Helzberg Heroes program extended that tradition and gave us the opportunity to show our love and appreciation for military members and their families."

To read additional Helzberg Heroes entries, visit www.facebook.com/HelzbergDiamonds. (PRNewswire)

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Shmulik Polnauer examines the pink diamond (Courtesy Leibish & Co)

Last month, the Israel Diamond Portal reported that Leibish & Co participated successfully at this year’s Argyle Pink Diamond Tender, winning six lots of rare pink and red diamonds from the Argyle mine in Western Australia.

One of the most outstanding stones purchased by the colored diamonds company was a 1.71-carat pink diamond.

Once Leibish & Co secured the diamond, Chief Buyer Shmulik Polnauer decided to recut the stone to increase its color intensity. With a loss of only three points, the now 1.68-carat radiant-shaped diamond carries a color grade of Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink.

The Leibish Pink Prosperity Diamond (Leibish & Co)

According to Polnauer, “The exceptional size of the 1.68-carat stone with such pure vivid color saturation is in of and itself a rarity. We haven’t seen a vivid Argyle pink diamond over 1.5 carats for a long time in the market. The reddish color flashes and the exiting strawberry touch are unique markers of a real Australian Argyle Pink diamond. “

Polnauer explains that the number 168, recognized in Asian cultures as signifying a “road to prosperity,” prompted the diamond company to name the stone the Leibish Prosperity Pink Diamond.

The Leibish Pink Prosperity Diamond has a GIA clarity grade of I1. Its polish is rated Very Good and its symmetry is graded Good.

Visit the Leibish & Co website.

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