When purchasing diamond jewelry in a jewelry store, antique store, online or elsewhere, some people may simply accept that the gemstone is what it is supposed to be and not really question how it was appraised or who was responsible for the appraisal. Individuals in the jewelry business have various titles associated with the roles in which they play. For the role of appraiser, it is a good thing to ask what qualifies the individual to be an appraiser of diamond jewelry and is a graduate gemologist qualified to appraise jewelry of this type.
What Is a Graduate Gemologist?
The first step to answering the posed question is defining what a graduate gemologist is. A graduate gemologist is an individual who has earned a degree which has presented them with the knowledge of grading and identifying gemstones. One who has received their education and given a degree naming them a graduate gemologist has learned how to figure out a diamond's value and quality. There are a variety of schools and institutes which offer this degree and individuals who become graduate gemologists go on to engage in careers such as jewelry store owner, diamond and gemstone buyers, auction house jewelry specialist, diamond manufacturer and even appraiser.
Does This Knowledge Make a Graduate Gemologist Qualified to Appraise Jewelry?
Even though some individuals who receive a graduate gemologist diploma go on to become appraisers, the public may still question whether the true qualifications are there. In other words, does this knowledge gained in their various gemology courses make them truly qualified to accurately and efficiently grade and put a value on diamonds? The answer to this question is mixed. Some individuals in the jewelry business feel as if those with a graduate gemologist diploma do have the requisite knowledge to enable them to accurately appraise jewelry. However, others who have been in the jewelry business for many years feel that simply possessing a degree of this type does not make an individual inherently capable of appraising jewelry.
Should Additional Training in Appraisal Theory and Methodology Be Necessary?
Some may wonder whether or not additional training in appraisal theory and methodology is necessary in addition to being a graduate gemologist. It is important to view both sides of the argument in order to present an answer to this question. Additional training may be a good idea as many diploma programs for becoming a graduate gemologist are general in nature. As individuals with this type of diploma enter may different occupations within the jewelry field, the range of knowledge gained by a graduate gemologist is large and brief. By obtaining more appraisal theory and methodology information through additional courses and training, the individual will be better prepared to appraise jewelry in an efficient manner.
On the other hand, those who go through the graduate gemologist course are taught the necessary things in order to make their appraisal pursuits highly possible. In their course study, graduate gemologists in training learn how to grade diamonds, put a value on them and determine the overall worth of gems in general. Therefore, some may feel as if this is more than enough knowledge gained by the graduate gemologist to make his appraisal endeavors quite successful. In other words, the answer to the question of whether simply being a graduate gemologist provides enough knowledge for the individual doing the appraisal will ultimately be determined by the individual whom you ask.
The author of this article has chosen to make this article available with free reprint rights. Click here to copy this article.
» left by Anonymous (1 year 54 days ago.)
This article is full of misinformation about the GIA Graduate Gemologist Diploma Program. If Mr. Greene did graduate, it must have been a very long time ago when the program is much different from today's program. I will graduate in a few months and most of what he says here is patently false. For example, values of diamonds and gemstones are not covered at all. Value factors are covered but that is a totally different concept. Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (1 year 53 days ago.)
To anonymous,
Thank you for your comment and congradulations or your upcoming graduation. I do wish that you had not chosen to remain anonymous.
I chose not to disparage any schools with what they FAIL to teach. My point is that being a gemologist does not make one an *appraiser*.
This requires much additional training in appraisal theory.
And yes, Mr Greene did graduate many years ago and continues to upgrade his education and skills at least twice every year in both gemology and appraisal theory.
Was this article helpful to you? Leave a Public Comment or
Question:
This Article has been viewed 411
times.
Article added to SearchWarp.com on Sunday, September 23, 2007 View other articles written by James Greene(1,140)
If you found this article interesting, you may want to check out:
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
