Reviews: Gemology and beyond

Diamond Council of America

I had the opportunity to review the program courses of the DCA, and it is one of the few programs that I would like to start for myself for the excellent level of knowledge that it provides.

The Diamonds Course takes the student through all of the steps of how diamonds get from the mines to the retail jewelry stores. It then goes on to provide everything the retail jewelry professional needs to know to provide world class service to the diamond buying consumer.

The Colored Gemstone Course gives a complete overview to the world of colored gemstones in such a manner that it allows the retail jeweler to offer a professional and knowledgeable presentation to consumers, while at the same time keeping it on a consumer friendly level of knowledge and understanding.

With the addition of their Advanced Jewelry Sales course, the DCA offers the finest total program of retail jewelry education on the market, and at a price that makes quality education affordable for everyone….particularly in this rough economy.

If I ever again own a retail jewelry store, the Diamond Council of America Program is going to be required of every employee.

Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology

I can remember the Dallas Jewelry Show in 1980 when I saw a table of TIJT students offering to do free gem identifications for the show guests. “Who are these people to compete with the GIA?”…is what everyone thought. What everyone did not know is that the gemological teaching of the late Orlando Paddock had created a high quality, cost effective gemology program that was the first to provide a viable alternative to the much more expensive GIA. Why? Because these TIJT folks at the Dallas Show table knew their stuff! As do all graduates of the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology.

Today, Tony Underwood and the rest of the excellent staff of the TIJT provide high quality training in jewelry manufacturing arts, design, horology, and gemology that has earned a world wide reputation for quality education at an affordable price. TIJT graduates can be found throughout the industry holding some of the top positions in many fields.

A world class education in all phases of the industry, provided at an affordable price, and offered by down home good people. One cannot ask for more than what you will find at the TIJT.

National Association of Jewelry Appraisers

As a licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Adjuster (TDI#1300433) actively involved in the claims process of jewelry insurance, I can personally attest that anyone doing jewelry appraisals needs to attain membership in the NAJA in order to maintain professional education and support. The NAJA is the only membership organization that offers the high level of education and support required to keep appraisers abreast of the latest developments on the market.

One of the biggest problems facing the insurance industry today is the lack of enough qualified, trained appraisers who specialize in jewelry and gemstones. While we at the ISG offer the only complete education program in gemology and appraisal, the NAJA provides the ongoing professional education and support needed to sustain the quality of services for appraisers on a career long basis. We recommend that all of our ISG Registered Gemologist Appraiser graduates to join the NAJA for their ongoing professional support, and we urge everyone out there doing appraisals to get a proper education and support offered by the NAJA.

In addition to the above, we also recommend the following educational organizations for “in-residence” opportunities to those located in other parts of the world jewelry industry. Available space here limits our coverage but we did not want to leave these good folks out:

Canadian Institute of Gemmology: Outstanding opportunity to study gemology with a world renowned gemologist, Wolf Kuehn. The CIG is a world leader in developing new gemology tools and technology, as well as gemstone research and education. A long standing reputation for ethics and quality in education is why we have always recommended the CIG.

Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences: Perhaps the premier source for the study of colored gemstones from the Asian markets. The AIGS provides a truly world class education in gemology by offering an opportunity to study in one of the world’s most important gem market areas.

And of course, we at the International School of Gemology provide what we believe to be the finest in distance education in gemology and jewelry appraisal. No other school offers jewelry appraisal training designed by licensed jewelry insurance professionals. But the study of gemology is a life long endeavor, and one that is best done by studying with as many different educational opportunities as possible.

For that reason we have compiled the above list of those we recommend to you.

Robert James

Property and Casualty Adjuster, Texas Department of Insurance #1300433