(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK – With Valentine’s Day and the trade shows around the corner, designers are shopping for those pink, red and purple gems that say “I love you” in a classic way. With the skills to identify and select stones, designers can feel secure in purchasing for their collections, which makes the supply chain more reliable for end consumers. This February, Buying Colored Gemstones is the latest New York Jewelry Design Institute (NYJDI) course launch, with designer and professor Alan Brodsky at the helm.
“Choosing gemstones is a unique expression of oneself. Buying gems is a creative part of the artistic experience. Gemstones are the personal pallet, offering a selection for expression,” says Brodsky.
The six-session class teaches gem buying with confidence, explaining the ins and outs of price guides, determining quality of cut, color, carat weight and clarity, and how that affects value. Using portable tools, students will handle a variety of stones, learning to differentiate between imitation, lab-grown, and natural stones, and will learn when something should go to a lab for further testing.
Jenine Lepera Izzi, creative director of NYJDI, says of the class, “We are very excited to offer this class to the trade as well as to gemstone aficionados. It has been in the works for a long time. Many of our students understand the scientific formation of gemstones, but lose confidence when they are in front a dealer. This class helps students with their business. They learn what to look for, and how to negotiate the best price for the perfect stone.”
By educating on the characteristics of various stones, and their qualities for identification, the course offers designers an invaluable education for those who don’t have the time to immerse themselves in a longer-term gemology program. Now, designers don’t have to purchase stones solely relying on the identification from another, especially when in a quick-buy atmosphere, like a trade show, or where a certificate isn’t present.
Additionally, NYJDI is offering Advanced Rendering, for those who want to learn to render colored gemstone jewelry, during an eight-session class commencing in March. The advanced rendering class, taught by Niyati Mahta, is for students who have taken rapid rendering, which is available throughout the year as a private one-to-one class with Lepera Izzi.
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For more information about the any of the courses, contact NYJDI at 212-951-1314, email info@nyjdi.com or visit nyjdi.com. For questions regarding this release, email info@pietrapr.com or call 212-913-9761.
