(PRESS RELEASE) ATLANTA, GA — The Atlanta Jewelry Show, in collaboration with GIA (Gemological Institute of America), offers the opportunity of continuing your professional education with a Gem Identification Lab Session from Friday through Tuesday, March 6-10, 2020.
“We are pleased to provide the chance for members of our AJS community to attain the most prestigious credentials in the industry, as this strengthens our dedication to the success of our jewelers and their businesses,” says Cindy Chandler, GIA GG, Atlanta Jewelry Show director of education. Chandler continues, “The practical skills combined with the technical expertise gained through these sessions is unmatched, and we are thrilled to support and play a part in the journey of these talented students.”
The lab sessions will be led by a GIA facilitator, and held at the Cobb Galleria Center in conjunction with the March edition of the Atlanta Jewelry Show. Enrollment is available to GIA students and alumni who wish to update and/or enhance their identification skills.
Registration is now open, and is limited to 15 participants per session. The lab sessions are eligible for transfer credit to fulfill the lab class requirements for the GIA Graduate Gemologist and Graduate Colored Stones Diplomas. There are no pre-requisites for
these sessions.
During this session, registered students can expect to practice the same time-tested procedures and identification skills used by the Institute’s renowned gemological experts. Tools used include a microscope, a refractometer with polarizing filter and a removable magnifying eyepiece, refractive index (RI) liquid, a polariscope with an optic figure sphere, a dichroscope, a table model prism spectroscope, a handheld spectroscope and a loupe. Students use these instruments to practice identifying natural and laboratory-grown gemstones, imitations and assembled stones. Along with this hands-on training, your instructors will carefully demonstrate key tests and coach you in quick, effective testing procedures. Students must pass an instrumentation exam to complete the class successfully. Once you have completed the class, you will keep a lab manual, a gem cloth, pinpoint incandescent light source and a color grading card.
Fees and enrollment details vary from GIA on-campus lab sessions.
Jewelers are encouraged to act quickly, as space is limited and available on a first-come, firstserved basis. For information and to register, send an email to Judy Lince at jlince@atlantajewelryshow.com or call 800-241-0399 0r 404-634-3434.