Today we find diamonds cut in all shapes imaginable. This seminar introduces you to the story of the modern diamond cut, from its conceiving to its first successful realization. You will also learn the characteristics of different cutting styles, and follow the exciting cutting procedure that transforms the rough into the finished sparkling diamond.

Colored gemstone grading is the procedure which analyzes all the factors that determine the market quality of a colored gem. This seminar will introduce you to the clarity types, the cutting styles, the symmetry, polish, and the colored gemstones’ most important characteristic, the colour.

Precious metals provide the raw materials for jewelry creation. They are one of the two major physical components of jewelry. This class will introduce you to the basic precious metals (gold, silver, platinum) and their properties, the alloys, their characteristics and use. We will also cover the theory of jewelry manufacturing methods (hand fabrication, lost wax casting, die striking, electroforming), the gemstone setting styles, the different types pf jewelry and their terminology, and the international regulation and testing for metal purity.

Gemstones are routinely treated after mining, in order to enhance their appearance and become more marketable. In this seminar you will learn all the most commonly encountered gemstone treatments, the process, the results and the materials which undergo these treatments.

For those of you who are interested in gemstones and their study, gemology, this seminar explains all the materials that a gemologist learns and works with, who are the professionals who use gemology and why gemology is extremely important in the jewelry industry.

• Vol I: How to buy fine diamond jewelry. Learn all the characteristics of diamond jewelry and gain basic knowledge about the nature of the materials. Feel more confident in asking the right questions to the jeweler and making more educated and risk-free purchases.
• Vol II: How to buy fine colored gemstone jewelry. Learn all the characteristics of colored gemstone jewelry and gain basic knowledge about the nature of the materials with a special focus on the big-3 of the gem world, ruby, sapphire, and emerald. Feel more confident in asking the right questions to the jeweler and making more educated and risk-free purchases.

Learn all about the deposits where we find gemstones –both primary and secondary- , the techniques we use to explore and find gemstone sources, and follow us to an exciting journey inside a diamond mine to see all the steps the miners take in order to unearth the treasure!

Get familiar with this very significant gem, its historical importance, its sources and its quality characteristics. Get familiar with the important symbolism that jadeite carries through the ages and learn about its market.

Update your gemological knowledge of emeralds and get a better understanding of the rarity of this mineral and gain a thorough knowledge of emerald treatments and the surrounding controversy concerning the materials used for fracture filling the emeralds, and learn how to separate natural, treated, and laboratory-grown emeralds. This seminar is part of the advanced gemology series and is addressed to participants who are already familiar with the basic gemology of emeralds.

Get familiar with this fascinating gemstone, learn about its history, its most important sources and the characteristics of each and get acquainted with the treatments that the emeralds undergo before entering the market.

This seminar will add precious information to your basic gemological knowledge of rubies. You will learn about the natural characteristics of untreated rubies, the ruby treatments and the characteristics of each one (Thermal treatment, Thermal treatment with additives, cavity and fracture filling, diffusion, dying, oiling), synthetic overgrowth, and the methods of synthesis of rubies (melt and solution processes). This seminar is part of the advanced gemology series and is addressed to participants who are already familiar with the basic gemology of rubies.

Get familiar with the historical importance of this magnificent gemstone and travel the world by visiting the ruby sources from Myanmar to Thailand, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, to east Africa and Greenland and learn about the typical output of each source!

In the world of precious colored gemstones Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald are historically the most important ones. This seminar introduces you to their historical background, their major occurrences, their characteristics, as well as their value factors, common treatments in the market, synthetics and substitutes.

What are fancy color diamonds and how are they different from the diamonds that belong to the normal color range? Learn all the characteristics of these super rare and very valuable diamonds which are the dream material for all people and probably the most important product of the modern market.

Come with us in a fascinating journey that reveals the passion for personal adornment and jewelry that accompanied humans since ever! Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, Etruscan jewelry, ancient Rome, Byzantine, to period jewelry like Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Retro. Learn the gem materials, the jewelry making techniques and the symbolism that precious jewelry held for ancient civilizations.

A fascinating travel to the world’s pearl farms! Follow us to the journey that the oyster takes in order to produce a pearl, learn all about the pearl farming process and get acquainted with the pearl types.

With this seminar you will get familiar with the different types of pearls (Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian, Freshwater), their sources and farming details. You will also be introduced to the system of grading the quality of pearls of all types and learn the most common treatments and enhancements the harvested pearls undergo before entering the market

An introductory course with a lot of useful information concerning colored gemstones, their properties and characteristics and the factors which determine their quality. This seminar will give you a spherical knowledge of the gemstone world and set a solid base for your gemstone knowledge!

An introductory course with a lot of useful information concerning diamonds, their properties and characteristics and their quality grading factors and systems. Learn about the diamond clarity, colour, cut and carat weight and set a solid base for your diamond knowledge!