The 'Coloured Gemstone Professional Program' is designed for students wishing to pursue a career in the coloured gemstone industry and consists of seventy-four theoretical lessons, four five-day workshops (120 hours) and a 60 hour online course.
The program covers the chemical nature of gemstones, their physical and optical properties, basic crystallography, the absorption of light, the spectroscope, refraction, reflection and the refractometer, polarized light, the polariscope, pleochroism, the dichroscope, colour filters, specific gravity, luminescence, magnification, thermal conductivity, imitation, assembled and lab-created gemstones, the methods used to manufacture lab-created gemstones including Verneuil, Czochralski, flux melt, hydrothermal, skull crucible, zone melt, horizontally oriented crystallization, sublimation method, and modified Stober method, their unique identifying features, treatments and enhancements including heat treatment, surface and sub-surface diffusion, lead glass fracture filling, flux assisted partial fissure healing, glass fracture filling, cobalt doped glass filled sapphires, high heat & pressure (HT+P), quench-crackling, surface modifications, coatings and foil backs, and irradiation, gem mining and cutting, coloured gemstone grading, gem identification by colour and transparency, advanced gem testing techniques and a comprehensive overview of the twenty-six most common groups, species and varieties including corundum (rubies and sapphires), beryl (emeralds, aquamarines and other precious beryls), chrysoberyl (alexandrite and other chrysoberyl), spinel, zircon, topaz, tourmaline, peridot, quartz, garnet, tanzanite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, opal, jadeite, kunzite and hiddenite, feldspars, iolite, andalusite, diopside, apatite, pearls, coral, jet, ivory and amber.
This program consists of four practical workshops (Gem Identification #1, Gem Identification #2, Coloured Gemstone Grading #1 and Lab-created & Treated Gems) requiring the completion of one hundred and twenty (120) hours of practical instruction plus our sixty (60) hour online Coloured Gemstone Grading #2 course.
This program includes eleven online tests, two preparatory coloured gemstone practical examinations (each consisting of ten stones), one final coloured gemstone practical examination (consisting of twelve stones), a 100 question theoretical multiple-choice examination and a theoretical five essay question examination.
Upon the successful completion of this program, graduates will receive the Coloured Gemstone Professional Diploma.
This course is available for long distance learning. You can register at any time and study at your own pace. There are no time restrictions.
This course includes twelve (12) hours of online tutoring from one of our instructors. Once you have registered, you will receive an email detailing how you can choose your tutoring hours. You can also request additional tutoring hours if necessary.
For students choosing this option, the practical classes must be completed through either the Spanish Gem Academy (SGA), the Dutch Gem Academy (DGA), the French-Swiss Gem Academy (FSGA), the Gem Academy of Canada (GAC), the South American Gem Academy (SAGA), the East African Gem Academy (EAGA) or the Gem Academy of Belgium (GAB) and require one hundred and eighty (180) contact hours to complete. The costs for the 'Digital' and 'Printed' course options include the cost of the four practical classes and our 60-hour online Coloured Gemstone Grading #2 class.
Cost (Digital): $ 5105 (USD) / € 4575 / 4115 GBP
Calendar: Dates practical classes are offered.
Our courses are also available in print. Please contact us for more information.
Students may choose our accelerated 'Coloured Gemstone Professional Diploma' residency program and complete the theoretical and practical requirements studying full-time at either the East African Gem Academy (EAGA), the Gem Academy of Canada (GAC/EGM), the Dutch Gem Academy (DGA) or the Gem Academy of Belgium (GAB).