I am serious about becoming a gemologist, where should I go to school?

[Amandas_Jewels]

I bet your response is almost instantly GIA - that has been mine for a few years.

I would just like to know of some other schools

maybe some more affordable than the GIA

or maybe some with better grading standards than the GIA

Do you know of any gemology schools outside of the GIA?

If so please share. Thanks!

 

[Richard M.]

A few questions first. Why do you want to be a gemologist? What is your goal? Do you want to own a store? Work in one? Become an appraiser? Or??? Do you live in the U.S.?

I believe all those have a bearing on your choice.

Richard M.

 

[Amandas_Jewels]

I want to be a gemologist because I am passionate about colored gemstones. I have been buying and selling gemstones and jewelry for the last 4 years. I think I am pretty smart when it comes to alot of things, but I also know that i''ve only scratched the surface. I would love to further my knowledge and possibly make a career out of it all. I am young, 19 years old (almost 20!), fresh out of high school, and I beileve now would be a good time to start. I started my own online business selling jewelry at the age of 17, things have been pretty sucessfull. I have my whole career ahead of me and I want it to have something to do with Gemstones. It is my passion. Enough said?

Yes I live in the U.S. I currently reside in Seattle, Washington. I don''t want to own a retail store or business untill later in life. I would prefer to work at a laboratory grading gemstones but I am not totally sure what options I have. I could see myself working in a jewelry store, to start my career.

I want to get my G.G. Graduate Gemologist Diploma, along with a degree in Small Business Mangement.

Any suggestions would be wonderful!

 

[DiamondExpert]

In my opinion, the FGA is the more rigorous and respected diploma. http://www.gagtl.ac.uk/ - and there is no substitute for experience before , during or after the diploma.

Good luck!

 

[Richard M.]

I agree with Gary. Gem-A (FGA) also has a program available in the U.S. now. I''ll try to locate information on it for you.

However....if you want a G.G., that particular designation is available only via GIA. If you want to work in a U.S. lab, GIA or AGTA are about the only real games and I''m not sure how either one goes about hiring except I''m sure the more practical experience the better. Richard Hughes, AGTAs West Coast lab director, may check in here one of these days and fill you in further.

Don''t overlook opportunities at AIGS in Bangkok. That''s where Hughes got his training and I understand both the cost of living/education and the opportunity to see a huge number and variety of gems, especially corundums, are big pluses. It''s on the leading edge of gem treatments because Bangkok is where much of the treating is done and new treatments often show up there first. Burma''s just next door and Bangkok processes gem rough from all over the world.

You can teach yourself lots of gemology through several popular books, and there are a couple of on-line gemology courses you can probably locate with Google. There are also courses through several universities.

I''m sure others will chime in with ideas. Good luck to you.

Richard M.

 

[Amandas_Jewels]

Thank you guys very much for the help

I have several books including:

Gem Identification Made Easy Expanded 3rd Edition
by Antoinette Matlins, P.G. and A.C. Bonanno, F.G.A., A.S.A., M.G.A.

Gemstones of the World Revised & Expanded Edition
by Walter Schumann

Colored Gemstones: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide
by Antoinette Matlins, P.G. (Same author of Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide)

All good reads! And some other books.

I also am a subscriber to Colored-Stone Magazine, I recieve a magazine bi-monthly.
I also have a gemstone collection, with alot of different varieties.
I play around with my gemstones often, I do pretty well using the loupe, and the tweasers.
I have most of the tools needed, 2 loupes, tweasers, polishing cloths, gauge, trays, tons of stuff actually lol *toys*

 

[Richard Sherwood]

I would also agree with the FGA recommendation, through the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (correspondence or residence).

Not only does their course go deeper than the GIA's (internet or residence), it was about half the cost the last time I checked.

The AIGS (residence) would be a real life experience if you could make the trip. Great school, from what I understand.

Then there's the School Of Hard Knocks. Highly over-rated, and very painful.

 

[strmrdr]

Iv been looking into it and a GG will open more doors more places than the others.
Thats what a degree/cert is about opening doors.

 

[Flawless]

If you can make it to Bangkok, AIGS is the best place to study Gemology.
Very very strong in COlored stone courses. And of course close proximity to the colored stone markets of Bangkok, Chantaburi and other neighbouring gem mining countries. It''s just like on-field gemology learning. Just the way Vincent would love to do it.

Good Luck !

 

[The Joker]

You could also get started by taking courses online.
One reasonably priced course is the ISG by Robert James (AKA Your Gemologist)
You can find out more information on his website:

http://www.yourgemologist.com/

Good luck on your endeavor.

Joker....

 

[riogems]

Interesting ISG internet course... Anybody have any feedback on it?

At that price, you should consider doing it -- if for nothing else but a filter to see if you''re really interested in gemology.

It looks like, with the basic equipment, it costs close to $1k. That''s what?

 

[Richard M.]

I was with the ''beta test'' group several years ago before it was formalized into the present course. While I''d taken GIAs'' colored stone course previously, I found this approach -- based on Gem-A training -- extremely helpful. The spectroscope training alone is invaluable.

In combination with Wm. W. Hanneman Ph.d.''s "Guide to Affordable Gemology" and other writings; and teaching myself Visual Optics techniques developed by Alan Hodgkinson, many new and exciting doors have been opened for me that weren''t even suggested by GIA.

I strongly agree this is a great way to test one''s aptitude for gemology while learning a great deal along the way. But as I''ve learned the hard way, if you want a gemology ''union card'' in the U.S. the G.G. is the best option. In the marketplace it isn''t what you know that counts; it''s the expensive piece of paper from Yale or Stanford or GIA that says you know it.

Richard M.

 

[mogok]

Date: 4/15/2006 5:11:57 PM
Author: Richard M.

I strongly agree this is a great way to test one''s aptitude for gemology while learning a great deal along the way. But as I''ve learned the hard way, if you want a gemology ''union card'' in the U.S. the G.G. is the best option. In the marketplace it isn''t what you know that counts; it''s the expensive piece of paper from Yale or Stanford or GIA that says you know it.


Richard M.

Hi Richard,
You are probably right, the paper telling you that you know is the thing that possibly matters at the beginning, but then when the first stone arrive you will have to face the real challenge as you will have to give your opinion on the stone. Then no paper can help you...
And if you make a mistake the paper will not save you either.

My opinion is that there are many good schools teaching gemology. Some are better than other for different purposes. If you want to get a job in a retail store in the US, the GIA is probably better than the small Burmese school I''ve first studied in Yangon (Burma) but if you want to go to buy a ruby in a Burmese gem market then probably your GIA course will not be as useful as the knwoledge you will have got during your Burmese education.

The point is that in my opinion you have to find out what you want to do and what is your budget to achieve this goal.
Then the things will probably looks more clear.

if you need the paper more than the knowledge then your choice will be simple. Now if you want to learn about stones and about what is also around the stone, I would advise you to follow somewhere my steps, those of Richard Hughes and others and to travel a little bit to Asia. There life is less expensive than in Europe or USA and the stones and the gem people will be all around you!
It is a life experience to be able to learn about gemology, to take your lunch or evening beer with some gem dealers from all around the world and to travel during your week ends to visit gem markets!

If you want to learn more about this subject, I can advise you to read the text I''ve written about "How did a countryside Frenchman came to such fancy passion as gemology?". I hope that it will not be a waste of time for you:

How did a "countryside Frenchman" came to such fancy passion as gemology?

All the best,