[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Richard,

It is not all bad with the GIA, however, their pearl course leaves a lot to be desired and is basically a pearl-platers' marketing tool. Considering the amount of time the GIA spends on teaching you that doublets and triplets are not lab gems and that lab gems are afterall not valuable real stones and how to detect treatments in diamonds and colored stones isn't the pearl course and its grading values an utter and total farce? It is to me.

Zeide

[tahitiangirl]

Thanks for all of the input everyone! It is very useful. I was looking in to the business program at GIA. I would need two years of business credits from a college and then I would get the other two years of training in business specific to the jewelry industry at GIA. I would get a diploma and bachelor's degree in business specific to the jewelry industry from the college not GIA. I think that might be the way to go because it is not an option to not get a four year degree. While I take the business course at GIA I can also take courses towards my degree in gemology. Is this a good idea?

[pearltime]

In my opinion the pearl course was expensive and the pearl grading course could have been taught in ten minutes. If I had it to do over I wouldn't waste my money on either unless I had no other resource. However it depends on what your goals are and what you need. Maybe that certificate you are awarded after completion of the course is important.