Thailand
Guy Clutterbuck, a noted international colored gemstone dealer, presented a seminar to 75 On Campus GIA Thailand students Jan. 13, 2006.

Clutterbuck's presentation on gemstone mining included a slideshow of mine sites in Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. Clutterbuck has an extensive background in mining, cutting and marketing gemstones worldwide and is a GIA graduate. His knowledge of all phases of the gem industry and his presentation skills made for a very informative seminar, which was much appreciated by the GIA Thailand student body.

Taiwan
GIA Taiwan held a graduation ceremony for 21 Accredited Jewelry Professional (A.J.P.) students on Jan. 9, 2006. The students, who enrolled in the program in October 2005, are members of the Taipei Jewelers Association and come from retail and wholesale backgrounds.

The graduates completed the program in three months by constantly gathering together to study the material and share information, said GIA Taiwan Director Vivian Wang.

"We've worked with several jewelers' associations in the past because it's important to their members to have excellent product knowledge," Wang said. "The A.J.P. program is a great way to provide training to those who need it most, especially those who are working in the trade."

Korea
GIA Korea held a graduation ceremony for 20 Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) students on Dec. 15, 2005 in the gallery. This was the 50th G.G. class to be offered at GIA Korea.

Several alumni and trade members attended the ceremony, including Chairman of the Korea Retailers' Association Sung Jeong Jung, who delivered a congratulatory speech to the graduates.

Seven GIA Korea alumni were also honored with thank-you plaques for giving students aid and attention in 2005. They gave guest lectures to classes, invited students to tour their companies and provided office space for classes free of charge.

Nam Hiseok, a well-known television show host, provided entertainment after the ceremony. Graduates and guests enjoyed two hours of singing, dancing and games with great prizes.

Italy
GIA Florence hosted an open discussion on Jan. 17, 2006 that featured an exhibit titled "Jewelry and Fashion Through the Ages." The event was held in conjunction with Pitti Immagine, an Italian trade and apparel fair sponsor in Florence, as part of an annual world preview of clothing and accessory collections for the winter season.

More than 50 people attended the event in the school's display area, which was filled with costumes from diverse periods in history. The collection included fashions from the Roaring '20s and the Victorian and Medieval eras. These garments were paired with examples of appropriate period jewelry, which were borrowed for the occasion from a local Italian jeweler.

India
GIA India has added an additional 1,455 square feet. Director Deepak Bagai said the space will feature a classroom, library, workroom for Distance Education students and space for students to relax during breaks.

Preeti Kurani was recently hired as a Distance Education instructor. Kurani has worked for the International Gemmological Laboratory and taught diamond and colored stones classes for various jewelry companies. She is in charge of advising GIA India Distance Education students and coordinating new enrollments, and is undergoing orientation to teach Diamond Grading.

GIA India also recently joined forces with Tanishque, a well-known Indian jewelry brand produced and marketed by the Titan Group, to organize the campus' first training course for industry employees. Ten Tanishque employees attended the two-week Diamond Grading course from Dec. 26, 2005 to Jan. 6, 2006.

The class was taught by Amit Kapoor and Nirali Sanghavi, with lecture participation from Kurani. GIA India hopes to organize more classes for this company in the coming months.

Deepak Bagai
Director, GIA India