GIA Programmes

Lab Classes

Participate, practice and perform. GIA Lab classes provide an ideal blend of classroom instruction and hands on learning for developing or fine-tune grading skills and techniques. You can take a lab class on its own, or as part of your GIA diploma programme requirements when earning your credential through Distance Education.

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Diamond Grading Lab Class (5 Days)

Through a unique combination of hands-on training, one-on-one coaching and multimedia, the Diamond Grading Lab class explores how to grade diamonds consistently and accurately using a modern gem microscope and a loupe. Students study GIA’s International Diamond Grading System™, explore time-saving shortcuts to determine a variety of grading factors, and are introduced to methods for reading a GIA Diamond Grading Report. You will spend more than 16 hours practising grading techniques on diamonds that were carefully selected and graded by GIA. In the process, you will study how to recognize the most common diamond features. Students must pass a two-stone practical exam to complete the class successfully. Classrooms contain a GIA DiamondDock™ and UV lamp with viewing cabinet. Each student workstation has a binocular microscope with an overhead light source, a loupe, tweezers, an LED light, a calculator and a diamond grading tray. As part of your course materials, you will receive and keep a lab manual, a pointer probe, a gem cloth, a plotting pen set, a table gauge, a crown angle card and a colour grading card.

Colored Stones Grading Lab Class (3 Days)

Through extensive hands-on practice using gemstones, you will explore grading the colour, clarity and cut quality of a wide range of coloured stones. Coursework includes the study of the GIA Colored Stone Grading System; how to describe colour by hue, tone and saturation; and how to judge gem quality factors. Topics also include the relationship between light and colour and developing colour memory. Study of this content can improve the consistency and accuracy of coloured stone grading skills. Students must pass a two-stone practical exam to complete the class successfully. Each student workstation includes either a binocular microscope or daylight equivalent light source, tweezers and a 10x loupe. As part of your course materials, you will receive and keep a lab manual, a gem cloth, a pinpoint incandescent light source and a colour grading card.

Gem Identification Lab Class (5 Days)

In this lab, students practice the same time-tested procedures and identification skills used by the Institute’s renowned gemmological experts. Students use gemmological 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. Classrooms contain a table model prism spectroscope, a colour filter, a fibre optic light, a UV lamp with viewing cabinet and a utility lamp. Each student workstation has a binocular microscope with overhead light source, a handheld spectroscope, a dichroscope, a refractometer with polarising filter and removable magnifying eyepiece and refractive index (RI) liquid, a diffuser plate, an optic figure sphere, a polariscope and tweezers. As part of your course materials, you will receive and keep a lab manual, a gem cloth, a pinpoint incandescent light source and a colour grading card.

Pearl Grading Lab Class (1 Day)

Discover how the world’s foremost experts determine the quality of Akoya, freshwater, South Sea, and Tahitian pearls. Explore GIA’s 7 Pearl Value Factors™. Key topics include how to evaluate cultured pearls in order to promote the relationship between beauty, value and quality in merchandise. Students must pass a two-stone assessment to complete the class successfully. Classrooms contain a pearl gauge and other instruction aids. Each student workstation includes either a binocular microscope or a daylight equivalent light source, and a pearl grading master set with an informational keycard. As part of your course materials, you will receive and keep a gem cloth and a lab manual.

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