We study the \(C^*\) -norms on the twisted tensor product between two graded \(C^*\) -algebras \({{\mathfrak {A}}}\) and \({{\mathfrak {B}}}\) . Such an analysis extends the analogous one concerning the usual (i.e. untwisted) tensor product \({{\mathfrak {A}}}\otimes {{\mathfrak {B}}}\) , and includes the so-called Fermi tensor product as the simplest nontrivial twisted case. After a detailed study of representations of the involutive algebra under consideration on pre-Hilbert spaces (which, in principle, might be made by unbounded operators), we show that such \(C^*\) -norms are associated with classes of positive functionals and their Gelfand-Naimark-Segal representations. We then prove the equivalence between nuclearity and the uniqueness of a compatible \(C^*\) -norm, as it happens for the usual tensor product. The result concerning nuclearity is new also for the relevant case of Fermi systems.