• IJL Gemmology Seminars
• Summer School 2008
• Coutts London Jewellery Week
• On Campus Programmes
• Lab Classes
• Distance Education
  • Distance Education Overview
  • Accredited Jewelry Professional (A.J.P.) Diploma
  • Gemologist Distance Education Programme
  • Diamonds Distance Education Programme
  • Colored Stones Distance Education Programme
  • Graduate Pearls Diploma Programme
  • Student Workroom
  • Individual Courses
• School of Business
• Diplomas
• How do I find the right course?
• How to Enrol
• 2008 Course Schedule

Distance Education

Individual Courses

Diamond Essentials

In just 7 lessons, Diamond Essentials gives you all the information and sales tips you need to start selling more diamonds than you ever imagined! Get moneymaking tips on turning product knowledge into sales. Apply the 4Cs to explain appearance and value. Learn which diamond shapes are the most popular, and familiarize yourself with the best-selling types of diamond jewellery. Take full advantage of the "real world" sales tips in GIA's Essential Guide to Selling Bridal Jewelry, included with your course material.

• Understand GIA's International Diamond Grading System™, how to read GIA diamond grading reports, and how to use them to close sales

• Increase sales by explaining the 4Cs (colour, clarity, cut, and carat weight) to customers

• Learn the features and benefits of today's most popular diamond jewellery

• Translate product knowledge and benefits into a convincing sales presentation

• Master the steps of a sale and overcome client objections

• Convert the allure and romance of diamonds into profit

Colored Stone Essentials

Discover some of the latest "real world" techniques that take you through every step of the sales process – right through the close. Learn how to relate quality, rarity, and colour to gemstone value. Plus, get in-depth information on the "Big Three" gemstones: ruby, sapphire, and emerald. In just 8 short lessons – each specially designed for quick learning – you get all the sales tips and product knowledge you need to sell colour like a professional. You also receive GIA's Essential Colored Stone Reference Guide, which contains helpful and interesting facts on today's most popular gemstones.

• Turn coloured stone product knowledge into "hot buttons" that sell

• Learn how to relate quality, rarity, and colour to value

• Follow coloured stones from their source to the sales counter

• Find out which market factors determine value

• Discover how to sell treated, synthetic, and imitation stones with full disclosure

Jewelry Essentials

Powerful sales are hiding in the design and manufacture of your merchandise. Do you know where to find them? In just 5 short lessons – each specially designed for quick learning – you discover how to sell virtually any piece of jewellery by recognising and promoting the benefits that make your merchandise irresistible. Learn which metals and settings are best suited for durability, wearability, and design. Become acquainted with different manufacturing techniques such as casting, die striking, electroforming, and hand fabrication. Plus, keep GIA's Essential Jewelry Reference Guide behind the counter and have all the important information right at your fingertips.

• Turn metals and manufacturing into irresistible selling points

• Turn design, style and manufacturing features into benefits that sell

• Find out which manufacturing techniques create better "sight value"

• Discover key selling points for platinum, gold, and silver

• Understand how karat gold affects appeal and value

• Understand various cuts and stone settings

Diamonds & Diamond Grading

Acquire the technical knowledge you need to make profitable buying and selling decisions. Study the fundamentals of diamond treatments, synthetics, and simulants. Understand the effect of fluorescence on body colour in diamonds. Discover the role played by cut in the marketplace. Plus, develop the all-important skills of judging and grading the colour, clarity, and cut of diamonds. Protect your business and the interests of your customers by learning to read the unique "fingerprint" clarity characteristics of a diamond.

(Prerequisite: Diamond Essentials)

Colored Stones

Demand for coloured stones is hotter than ever. Become familiar and knowledgeable on a wide variety of gems: how they're formed, imitated, treated, and enhanced. Learn complete grading procedures for all popular transparent, phenomenal and opaque faceted gems. Plus, feel confident explaining beauty,
quality, and value in coloured stones using the GIA Colored Stone Grading System. Ultimately, it's here where you learn how to buy and sell coloured stones with profitable insight.

(Prerequisite: Colored Stone Essentials)

Gem Identification

Practise with hundreds of stones to learn many of the identification techniques used by the experts of the Institute. Use gem-testing instruments to identify gemstones, separate natural gems from synthetics, and detect treated gems. Find out how – and when – to use gemological laboratory services. Learn how to use gem identification skills to protect your business from costly mistakes.

To complete this course, you must have access to gem tweezers, a 10x loupe or microscope, refractometer with polarising filter, dichroscope, polariscope, and spectroscope. These instruments are all provided in Student Workroom.

(Prerequisite: Colored Stones)

Pearls

Find new profit in the full range of cultured pearls. Learn sure-fire techniques for selling pearls at the retail level. In just 11 short lessons, GIA's renowned Pearls course gives you all the product knowledge you need to buy inventory, build confidence, and increase profits. Buy and sell akoya, South Sea, Tahitian, and freshwater pearls with informed insight and skill. Learn GIA's 7 Pearl Value FactorsTM: size, shape, colour, luster, surface quality, nacre quality, and matching. Understand the difference between natural and cultured pearls. Learn about post-harvest treatments, imitation pearls, and pearl testing.

Developed with the generous support of the South Sea Pearl Consortium, Perles de Tahiti G.I.E., and the Japan Pearl Exporters Association.