Press Release

GIA’s First Graduate Diamonds Class in Dubai Advances Gem and Jewellery Education Opportunities

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Image © GIA.
GIA’s first Graduate Diamonds class in Dubai receive their diplomas. Back row: students and and an instructor. Front row L to R: Manoj Singhania, director of GIA education in India; Amit Dhamani, a member of the GIA Board of Governors and CEO of Dhamani Jewels; and Kathryn Kimmel, vice president and chief marketing officer of GIA.

Globally recognised education offered in significant Middle East trade centre

DUBAI – Dec. 24, 2013 – A class of 10 students from eight different countries graduated on Dec. 5 from GIA’s  (Gemological Institute of America) first Graduate Diamonds Diploma programme in Dubai, a significant diamond trading centre in the Middle East. The graduates were recognized during a special ceremony which included Amit Dhamani, a member of the GIA Board of Governors and CEO of Dhamani Jewels.
 
“People in the gem and jewelry industry are some of the most passionate people I know. It’s important to keep this passion alive and growing by continuing your education and keeping in touch with classmates through organizations like the GIA alumni association,” said Dhamani.
 
GIA’s experienced instructors, backed by decades of gemmolgical research, ensure that each student receives the same quality education, whether in New York, Hong Kong or Mumbai. In addition to classroom learning, the inaugural Dubai class received practical instruction during field trips to companies representing different parts of the industry, including Moreli Gems, CARA Jewels and the Russian Diamond Cutters factory.
 
“Supporting the gem and jewellery buying public across the world through education is essential to GIA’s mission, and offering the Graduate Diamonds programme in Dubai is yet another step in the journey to offer regionally-relevant education where ever it is needed,”said Nirupa Bhatt, managing director of GIA in India and Middle East.
 
GIA’s Graduate Diamonds Diploma is a seven-week programme that teaches students about the GIA-created 4Cs (Colour, Cut, Clarity and Carat weight) of diamond quality and how to grade diamonds using the D-Z colour scale. Students learn to use gemmological equipment to grade and identify diamonds; find out how to detect synthetics, treatments, simulants and fracture-filled diamonds; and how to confidently speak the language of diamonds to suppliers, vendors and customers. The next course in Dubai is scheduled for April 2014.
 
In addition to Dubai, GIA conducts courses at major trade centres in the Middle East including Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The Institute’s courses focus on diamonds, coloured stones, pearls, jewellery design and more.
 
For more information on GIA’s activities in the region, contact us or visit www.giamideast.com.

About GIA

An independent nonprofit organization, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), established in 1931, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA invented the famous 4Cs of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight in the early 1950s and in 1953, created the International Diamond Grading System™ which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world.
 
Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism.