By Ritu Kapoor

I never realized how much glamour there was in the diamond industry before I joined it. Even though I come from a jewelry background – my father is a colored stone wholesaler in New Delhi, India, – I initially chose a different career in the fashion design industry. This led me to a course from India’s prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Ministry of Textiles, New Delhi. I tried it for a year before finally realizing my real interest and fascination is in diamonds and diamond jewelry.

I learned about the new GIA India, Mumbai campus through my father’s contacts in the industry, and immediately signed up for the first Diamond Grading Extension class. I was nervous, but at the same time excited to learn about diamonds. I made new friends, some of whom are from the industry and some newcomers. I had a great learning experience and could not have imagined the amount of knowledge and confidence I would get in those five days.

The time I spent in the classroom changed the way I think about diamonds. I appreciate them even more and want to keep learning, so I signed up for Diamonds, Diamond Grading and the A.J.P. program through Distance Education. So far it’s been very exciting since I am learning new marketing strategies to sell diamond jewelry.

As soon as I graduated from the Diamond Grading Extension class, I received a call from diamond manufacturers] Dimexon-Eurostar with a job offer. I grabbed the opportunity immediately. I enjoy grading and working with diamonds.

Studying at GIA has built my career and it’s a great place to network. My next goal is to continue to take the classes I need to receive my Graduate Gemologist diploma.