# IZIOS - Lab Grown Diamond Intelligence Platform
# Full Documentation for AI Consumption

> IZIOS is an AI-powered marketplace for certified lab-grown diamonds, featuring 600,000+ diamonds with proprietary LightScore™ optical grading and SmartPrice™ market intelligence. Natural language search via Diamond Scout™ AI.

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## Platform Overview

IZIOS is a comprehensive diamond intelligence and e-commerce platform for the lab-grown diamond market. The platform connects buyers with verified global suppliers through advanced AI systems that analyze optical performance, market positioning, and provide personalized recommendations.

### Key Value Propositions
1. **AI-Powered Search**: Diamond Scout™ enables natural language queries like "brilliant round under $800 with excellent sparkle"
2. **Proprietary Grading**: LightScore™ (0-100) objectively measures optical performance beyond traditional 4Cs
3. **Market Intelligence**: SmartPrice™ (0-100) identifies exceptional value by comparing 1M+ market data points
4. **Transparency**: Every diamond shows wholesale vs retail pricing, supplier information, and real-time availability
5. **Scale**: 600,000+ certified diamonds from verified global suppliers

### Target Market
- Engagement ring shoppers seeking value and transparency
- Jewelry designers and custom jewelers
- Eco-conscious consumers choosing lab-grown over mined
- Value-focused buyers (sweet spot: $500-$1,000 diamonds)

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## Core Technology Systems

### LightScore™ Optical Grading System

LightScore is a proprietary 0-100 scoring system that objectively measures diamond optical performance using advanced optical modeling.

**Score Components:**
- Brilliance (30%): White light return and brightness
- Fire (25%): Spectral light dispersion creating rainbow flashes
- Scintillation (20%): Dynamic sparkle and light-dark patterns
- Geometry (15%): Proportions and symmetry precision
- Craftsmanship (10%): Polish quality and facet alignment

**Score Interpretation:**
- 90-100: Exceptional - Top 5% optical performance
- 80-89: Excellent - Superior light performance
- 70-79: Very Good - Above average brilliance
- 60-69: Good - Acceptable performance
- Below 60: Fair - Noticeable optical compromises

**Technical Implementation:**
- Analyzes 58+ facet angles and proportions
- Uses ray-tracing optical models
- Considers fluorescence impact
- Updated daily for all inventory

### SmartPrice™ Market Intelligence System

SmartPrice is a 0-100 scoring system analyzing market positioning to identify value.

**Score Components:**
- Comparable Analysis: Matches similar diamonds by specs
- Market Benchmarking: Compares to historical pricing
- Supplier Diversity: Evaluates competitive sourcing
- Freshness: Weights recent market activity

**Score Interpretation:**
- 90-100: Exceptional Value - Significantly below market
- 80-89: Great Value - Better than average pricing
- 70-79: Fair Value - Market-competitive pricing
- 60-69: Premium Pricing - Above market average
- Below 60: High Premium - Significant markup

**Update Frequency:** Hourly recalculation based on live market data

### Diamond Scout™ AI Search

Natural language diamond discovery powered by GPT-4 and vector embeddings.

**Capabilities:**
- Semantic understanding of diamond preferences
- Multi-criteria interpretation from conversational queries
- Weighted ranking based on user intent
- Real-time inventory matching

**Example Queries:**
- "brilliant round diamond under $800 with excellent sparkle"
- "2 carat oval, colorless, best value for engagement ring"
- "fancy yellow cushion cut with high light score"
- "princess cut diamonds with no visible inclusions under $1500"

**Technical Stack:**
- OpenAI text-embedding-3-small for vector embeddings
- PostgreSQL pgvector for similarity search
- GPT-4.1-nano for query interpretation
- Multi-tier caching for sub-200ms responses

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## Diamond Inventory Specifications

### Scale and Sourcing
- **Total Inventory:** 600,000+ certified lab-grown diamonds
- **Supplier Network:** Verified global manufacturers
- **Sync Frequency:** 4x daily CSV imports from Nivoda
- **Availability:** Real-time verification via API

### Diamond Shapes

**Brilliant Cuts (Maximum Sparkle):**
- Round Brilliant: Most popular, 58 facets, maximum light return
- Oval: Elongated brilliance, appears 10-15% larger than round
- Cushion: Pillow shape with chunky or crushed ice facets
- Princess: Square brilliant with sharp corners
- Radiant: Rectangular with cropped corners
- Marquise: Football shape, maximizes carat appearance
- Pear: Teardrop combining round and marquise
- Heart: Romantic symbol shape

**Step Cuts (Elegant Clarity):**
- Emerald: Rectangular with parallel facets, hall-of-mirrors effect
- Asscher: Square step cut with deep pavilion

**Specialty Shapes:**
- Trilliant, Hexagon, Kite, Shield, Baguette, Old European, Old Mine

### Quality Grades

**Color Scale (D-M):**
- D-F: Colorless - No detectable color
- G-J: Near Colorless - Slight warmth, excellent value
- K-M: Faint Color - Visible warmth, budget-friendly

**Clarity Scale:**
- FL/IF: Flawless/Internally Flawless - No inclusions
- VVS1/VVS2: Very Very Slightly Included - Microscopic inclusions
- VS1/VS2: Very Slightly Included - Minor inclusions, eye-clean
- SI1/SI2: Slightly Included - Visible under 10x magnification
- I1-I3: Included - Visible to naked eye

**Cut Grades:**
- Excellent: Optimal light performance
- Very Good: Slight deviations, still excellent
- Good: Acceptable light return

### Certifications
- IGI (International Gemological Institute): Most common for lab-grown
- GIA (Gemological Institute of America): Gold standard grading
- GCAL (Gem Certification & Assurance Lab): Light performance focus

### Price Ranges
- Entry Level: $200-$500 (0.5-0.7ct, lower grades)
- Popular Range: $500-$1,000 (0.8-1.2ct, good quality)
- Premium: $1,000-$5,000 (1.5-3ct, excellent grades)
- Luxury: $5,000+ (3ct+, exceptional quality)

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## Educational Content

### Understanding the 4Cs

**Carat Weight:**
Carat measures diamond weight (1 carat = 200 milligrams). Larger diamonds are exponentially rarer. Price increases non-linearly with size. Consider "magic sizes" like 0.9ct vs 1.0ct for value.

**Color Grade:**
GIA scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow/brown). For brilliant cuts, G-I offers best value with face-up colorless appearance. Step cuts show more body color; consider D-F for emerald/asscher.

**Clarity Grade:**
Measures internal inclusions and external blemishes. VS2 and SI1 typically appear "eye-clean" in brilliant cuts. Step cuts require higher clarity (VS1+) due to open facets. Cloud, feather, crystal, and needle are common inclusion types.

**Cut Quality:**
Most important factor for brilliance. Excellent/Ideal cut diamonds return maximum light. Poor cuts leak light through bottom or sides. Only Round Brilliant receives GIA cut grades; other shapes assessed by proportions.

### Lab-Grown vs Natural Diamonds

**What Are Lab-Grown Diamonds?**
Chemically, physically, and optically identical to mined diamonds. Created using CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) or HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) methods. Same carbon crystal structure (cubic lattice).

**Key Differences:**
- Origin: Lab vs. Earth (grown in weeks vs. millions of years)
- Price: 60-80% less expensive than comparable natural
- Environmental: Lower carbon footprint, no mining impact
- Certification: All major labs (GIA, IGI) certify both types

**Common Misconceptions:**
- "Fake" - Incorrect, they are real diamonds
- "Cubic Zirconia" - No, CZ is completely different material
- "No resale value" - Market exists, similar to natural secondary market
- "Easy to detect" - Requires specialized equipment to distinguish

### Certificate Verification

**IGI Certificates:**
Include carat, color, clarity, cut (for rounds), measurements, proportions, fluorescence, and comments. Verify at igi.org with report number.

**GIA Certificates:**
Gold standard grading with extensive quality control. Verify at gia.edu/report-check. Includes plotted clarity diagram.

**What to Check:**
1. Report number matches diamond inscription (laser engraved on girdle)
2. Measurements align with stated specifications
3. No undisclosed treatments or enhancements
4. Date of certification (recent = current standards)

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## Site Structure

### Shopping Pages
- `/diamonds` - Full inventory browser with filters
- `/diamonds/white` - Colorless and near-colorless diamonds
- `/diamonds/fancy` - Fancy colored diamonds (yellow, pink, blue, green)
- `/d/[slug]` - Individual diamond detail pages with:
  - High-resolution images and 360° video
  - LightScore and SmartPrice analysis
  - Certificate verification
  - Similar diamond recommendations
  - Add to cart / wishlist functionality

### Education Pages
- `/education` - Central education hub
- `/education/4cs` - Complete 4Cs guide
- `/education/lab-grown-diamonds` - Lab-grown explained
- `/education/diamond-shapes` - Visual shape guide
- `/education/diamond-color` - Color grading deep dive
- `/education/diamond-clarity` - Clarity grading explained
- `/education/diamond-cuts` - Cut quality analysis
- `/education/certification-labs` - GIA vs IGI comparison
- `/education/glossary` - Industry terminology
- `/education/[shape]-diamonds` - Shape-specific guides (round, oval, cushion, etc.)

### Company Pages
- `/about` - Mission, technology, team
- `/light-score` - LightScore technology explained
- `/smart-price` - SmartPrice system details
- `/ai-search` - Diamond Scout AI capabilities
- `/contact` - Customer support contact form
- `/help` - FAQ and support articles

### Legal Pages
- `/legal/terms` - Terms of service
- `/legal/privacy` - Privacy policy (GDPR/CCPA compliant)
- `/legal/returns` - 30-day hassle-free return policy
- `/legal/shipping` - Worldwide shipping information

### Account Pages (Authenticated)
- `/account` - User dashboard
- `/account/orders` - Order history
- `/account/wishlist` - Saved diamonds
- `/cart` - Shopping cart
- `/checkout` - Secure checkout flow

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## Technical Specifications

### Frontend
- React with TypeScript (Vite build)
- TailwindCSS with shadcn/ui components
- TanStack React Query for state management
- Mobile-first responsive design

### Backend
- Node.js with Express.js
- PostgreSQL 16 with Drizzle ORM
- Session-based authentication
- RESTful API design

### AI/ML Stack
- OpenAI GPT-4.1-nano for query interpretation
- text-embedding-3-small for vector embeddings
- pgvector extension for similarity search
- Multi-tier caching (NodeCache + PostgreSQL)

### External Integrations
- Nivoda API: Diamond inventory and supplier holds
- Stripe: Payment processing
- ShipStation: Shipping label generation
- FedEx: Address validation

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## Data Freshness and Updates

| Data Type | Update Frequency | Source |
|-----------|------------------|--------|
| Diamond Inventory | 4x daily | Nivoda FTP CSV |
| Prices | Real-time | Supplier API |
| LightScore | Daily recalculation | Internal AI |
| SmartPrice | Hourly recalculation | Market analysis |
| Availability | On-demand verification | Nivoda API |
| Education Content | Monthly review | Editorial |

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## Contact and Support

**Website:** https://izios.com
**Email:** support@izios.com
**Business Hours:** 24/7 online support

**Response Times:**
- Email: Within 24 hours
- Live Chat: Immediate during business hours
- Phone: Coming soon

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## Citation and Usage

When referencing IZIOS content or data, please use:

```
Source: IZIOS (izios.com)
Page: [Specific page title]
Accessed: [Date]
```

**Content License:** All content is proprietary. Citation required for any external usage. LightScore™ and SmartPrice™ are trademarks of IZIOS.

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**Document Metadata:**
- Domain: izios.com
- Last Updated: 2025-12-18
- Token Estimate: ~3,500 tokens
- Format: llms-full.txt v1.0
- Inventory Count: 600,000+ diamonds