COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
GEM110 | Jewelry Essentials
Related diploma program(s): A.J.P.
This course introduces the major features of jewelry and explains how those features combine to give jewelry its unique value. Understand the special qualities of precious metals and be able to compare the advantages of each with your customer. Identify jewelry types and styles, and become comfortable with the industry terms used to discuss them. Learn about different jewelry manufacturing methods and how each one can affect style, appearance, and durability. Learn how precious metals are regulated, marketed, and tested. And find out how to deliver a compelling sales presentation.
Includes GIA’s Essential Jewelry Reference Guide
Course offered: Distance Education only
Maximum completion time: 3 months
What you earn: Jewelry Essentials Certificate
$125 (International shipments, extra shipping and handling fees apply)
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GEM120 | Colored Stone Essentials
Related diploma program(s): A.J.P, G.G., Graduate Colored Stones
This course provides basic, vital knowledge of colored stones. Focus in-depth on the “Big Three” of the gemstone world: ruby, sapphire, and emerald. Become familiar with the fundamental language of colored stones. Learn about color’s powerful role in gemstone value and the unique characteristics of today’s most popular colored stones. And, understand how color, clarity, cut, and carat weight can all affect a gem’s value. Develop proven techniques that take you through every step of a successful sales presentation.
Includes GIA’s Essential Colored Stone Reference Guide, which contains helpful and interesting facts on today’s most popular gemstones.
Course offered: Distance Education only
Maximum completion time: 3 months
What you earn: Colored Stone Essentials Certificate
$140 (International shipments, extra shipping and handling fees apply)
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GEM130 | Diamond Essentials
Related diploma program(s): A.J.P., G.G., Graduate Diamonds
Learn how to sell diamond jewelry ethically, honestly, and effectively. Become familiar with the internationally accepted and respected GIA clarity grading system. Learn how diamonds are graded for color andhow color affects value. Find out how modern technology is changing the way diamonds are cut and learn the difference between size and weight. Understand the important functions in the operation of a retail jewelry store. Combine product knowledge with solid sales techniques to complete more sales.
Includes GIA’s Essential Guide to Selling Bridal Jewelry, an instant sales reference to popular engagement ring styles.
Course offered: Distance Education only
Maximum completion time: 3 months
What you earn: Diamond Essentials Certificate
$130 (International shipments, extra shipping and handling fees apply)
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GEM149 | Pearls
Related diploma program(s): Graduate Pearls
Find new profit in the full range of cultured pearls. Discover popular techniques for selling pearls at the retail level. Learn the product knowledge you need to buy inventory, build confidence, and increase profits. Buy and sell Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian, and freshwater pearls with informed insight and skill. Learn GIA’s 7 Pearl Value Factors™: size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality, and matching. Understand the difference between natural and cultured pearls. Learn about post-harvest treatments, imitation pearls, and pearl testing.
Developed with the generous support of the South Sea Pearl Consortium, Perles de Tahiti G.I.E., and the Japan Pearl Exporters Association.
Course offered: Distance Education only
Maximum completion time: 6 months
What you earn: Pearls Certificate
$495 (International shipments, extra shipping and handling fees apply)
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GEM149L | Pearl Grading Lab
Related diploma program(s): Graduate Pearls
Discover how the world’s foremost experts instantly determine the quality of Akoya, freshwater, South Sea, and Tahitian pearls. Learn GIA’s 7 Pearl Value Factors™ by training with a member of the Institute’s internationally respected team of instructors. In this hands-on class, learn how to evaluate cultured pearls, with the view of increasingsales and promoting the relationship of beauty, value, and quality in your merchandise.
Class offered: CB, NY, LA, and cities throughout the U.S.
(Click here for Lab schedules)
Class duration: 1 day or 2 nights (6 hours)
What you earn: Letter of Completion
$225
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GEM220 | Colored Stones
Related diploma program(s): G.G., Graduate Colored Stones
Prerequisite: GEM120
In Colored Stone Essentials, you learned how to sell colored stones at the retail level. This course proceeds farther down the supply chain and gives you in-depth knowledge about the multitude of colored stones in today’s market. Discover which gems are commercially important and why. And understand the value differences among gems, as well as the shifting supply patterns and how that affects gem prices and availability.
Course offered: Distance Education only
Maximum completion time: 18 months
What you earn: Colored Stones Certificate
$1,300 (International shipments, extra shipping and handling fees apply)
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GEM220L | Colored Stone Grading Lab
Related diploma program(s): G.G., Graduate Colored Stones
Through extensive hands-on practice using gemstones provided by GIA, develop skills in grading the color, clarity, and cut quality factors of a wide range of colored stones. Learn GIA’s Colored Stone Grading System and how to describe color in terms of hue, tone, and saturation. Judge clarity and cut quality factors with professional insight. Increase the consistency and accuracy of your colored stone grading skills. Learn about the relationship between light and color. Develop your color memory.
Class offered: CB, NY, LA, and traveling cities throughout the U.S.
(Click here for Lab schedules)
Class duration: 3 days or 6 nights (21 hours)
What you earn: Letter of Completion
$950 (International shipments, extra shipping and handling fees apply)
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GEM230 | Diamonds & Diamond Grading
Related diploma program(s): G.G. Graduate Diamonds
Prerequisite: GEM130
Learn the important skills of judging and grading the color, clarity, and cut of diamonds. Through detailed text and magnified photos, learn how to determine proportions and estimate weight. Study the fundamentals of diamond treatments, synthetics, and simulants. Understand the effect of fluorescence on body color in diamonds. Discover the role played by cut in the marketplace. And acquire the technical knowledge you need to make profitable buying and selling decisions. Plus, explore the diamond industry beyond its retail level and gain an understanding of diamond value in other market segments.
Course offered: Distance Education only
Maximum completion time: 15 months
What you earn: Diamonds and Diamond Grading Certificate
$1,200 (International shipments, extra shipping and handling fees apply)
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GEM230L | Diamond Grading Lab
Related diploma program(s): G.G., Graduate Diamonds
Discover how to judge and grade clarity, color, and cut quality factors of round brilliant diamonds. Through our unique combination of hands-on training, one-on-one coaching, and integrated multimedia presentations, you learn to grade diamonds consistently and accurately using a modern gem microscope and jeweler’s loupe. Become proficient in GIA’s Diamond Grading System. Discover time-saving shortcuts to determine a variety of grading factors. Learn to read a GIA Laboratory Diamond Grading Report. Recognize the most common diamond features, and spend more than 18 hours practicing grading techniques on diamonds that have been carefully selected and graded in the GIA Laboratory.
Class offered: CB, NY, LA, and traveling cities throughout the U.S.
(Click here for Lab schedules)
Class duration: 5 days or 10 nights (35 hours)
What you earn: Letter of Completion
$1,195
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GEM235L | Advanced Diamond Grading Lab
Broaden and refine diamond grading skills. Gain the confidence to accept more demanding grading business. Learn advanced grading techniques for grading rounds, marquises, pears, ovals, and more with greater accuracy. Practice color grading using master sets. And learn how GIA experts make the right “borderline” calls.
Class offered: NY only (call for availability for other cities)
(Click here for Lab schedules)
Class duration: 1 day (3 hours)
What you earn: Letter of Completion
$145
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GEM240 | Gem Identification
Related diploma program(s): G.G., Graduate Colored Stones
Prerequisites: GEM120, GEM220
Discover how to deal with the major categories of gem separations. Learn how to identify more than 60 species of gemstones, separate natural gems from synthetics, and detect treated gems. Develop your skills by practicing testing procedures and techniques on sets of practice stones provided by GIA. Learn about the tools of the trade and how each tool helps reveal the gem properties essential to identification. Find out about the latest treated gemstones in the market today. Discover how illumination techniques can facilitate the identification process. Find out how – and when – to use gemological laboratory services. Learn how to use gem identification skills to protect your business from costly mistakes.
To complete the Gem Identification course (GEM240), you must have access to gem tweezers, a 10x loupe or microscope, refractometer with polarizing filter, optic figure sphere, dichroscope, polariscope, and spectroscope. These instruments are not included with the course materials. Or, you can complete your assignments using these professional tools in GIA’s Student Workroom. For complete Student Workroom activities, hours, and fees, please click here.
Course offered: Distance Education only
Maximum completion time: 24 months
What you earn: Gem Identification Certificate
$1,400 (International shipments, extra shipping and handling fees apply)
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GEM240L | Gem Identification Lab
Related diploma program(s): G.G., Graduate Colored Stones
With 17 hours of lab time and hundreds of gemstones, you practice the same effective testing procedures and identification skills used by the Institute’s renowned gemological experts. Gain confidence using the tools of the trade: a microscope, refractometer, polariscope, dichroscope, spectroscope, and loupe. And use that full range of standard gem testing instruments to identify natural gemstones, imitations, and synthetics. In demonstrations and hands-on practice, you see and test the materials found in today’s market. Your instructors carefully explain key tests and coach you in quick, effective testing procedures.
Class offered: CB, NY, LA, and traveling cities throughout the U.S.
(Click here for Lab schedules)
Class duration: 5 days or 10 nights (35 hours)
What you earn: Letter of Completion
$1,195
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GEM245L | Identifying Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald Lab
Become up-to-date on rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, in just one day. Learn about new ruby synthetics, the latest treatments (including fracture filling), and use our lab equipment to get an up-close look at rubies from new sources. Learn how to detect treated sapphires and synthetics, and the importance of treatment disclosure. And receive up-to-date information on emerald treatments and synthetics with a highly challenging lab to test your skills.
Class offered: NY only (call for availability for other cities)
(Click here for Lab schedules)
Class duration: 1 day (6 hours)
What you earn: Letter of Completion
$295
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GEM255L | Identifying Synthetic Diamonds Lab
Previous gemological training and/or experience recommended
Through a combination of lecture and hands-on practice with a microscope, you’ll learn how to identify HPHT-grown synthetic diamonds and separate them from natural diamonds. You’ll also gain greater insight into the identification of CVD-grown synthetic diamond. You will learn how to easily separate synthetic moissanite and synthetic cubic zirconia from diamond.
Class offered: Call for scheduled locations and dates
Class duration: 1 day (2.5 hours)
What you earn: Letter of Attendance
$145
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