Wow! I am a rock lover and now a new member to GS! With interests in hosting estate sales, I want to make sure that all are appraised accurately. A couple of starter questions: which top identification tool do you consider a life saver and must have? I’m looking to buy either new or used.
The mini series on here is available with my membership… if all are completed is there a “mini” certificate and validity to use?
Ultimately I want to provide certified appraisals and on a major budget… any grants or payment plans for the course?
Is there a group or shop in Dallas that is a member of GS?
Last question, I would love to have text books for the course…call me old fashioned but it’s my style.
Thanks for the guidance- feeling excited just a bit overwhelmed with the information overload.
You might also join the USFG. Or at least look at their website. Their is a wealth of information and great people all over the world just like here. I agree with the spectrometer. Also the best loupe you can afford
As an owner of a GemmoRaman and EXA I can say I use them everyday for appraisal reports. They are accurate and reliable.
BUT, appraisal science is a different field than gemmology.
If you would like to be a jewelry appraiser may I suggest:
-The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA)
-American Society of Appraisers (ASA)
As I recall both have scholarships available.
Good luck!
There are virtually no textbooks available for gemology. There are a few books that might fill that void. One book that I recommend as a beginner myself is a “Guide to affordable gemology” by W. Wm. Hanneman, Phd. ( Guide to Affordable Gemology )
As for equipment, i would recommend getting what you can afford. I would start by reading the book “guide to affordable gemology” as he gives very good advice on what to purchase when starting out in gemology without spending too much money. After all, a GIA refractometer goes for about 1,000 USD, you can get a very good Fable (Chinese) refractomer for about 300 or a really cheap one from amazon for 100.
I myself spent a lot of money on my equipment when I turned my hobby into part of my business. I spent a lot of money on equipment and am in the process of learning how to use it. I will probably start the Gem-A online course in September since they actually still stick to a sort of semester system for the certifications.
The first thing to buy would be a decent loupe. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It just has to be decent. You can then purchase a loupe that has corrections for chromatic aberration and lens curvature (forgot what the actual definition is) when buying a triplet loupe. They’re not expensive, but you don’t have to go all out in the beginning especially if you have limited resources.
If I may interject, I think one of the most impressive and comprehensive Gemmology references is a downloadable resource available here:
Handbook of Gemmology by Geoffrey Dominy http://handbookofgemmology.com/store.html
Absolutely comprehensive and accurate. One could easily spend more on an X-large pizza and a beer in San Francisco.
As someone who knew Dr. Hanneman for decades I think his book is an insightful tome reflecting the time in which it was written. But, I think the world of gemological science has become far more sophisticated in both instruments available and synthetics and treatments which warrant their use.
If one is a hobbyist, I think a lighted, dark field gem loupe is a wise investment as is a specific gravity set up. An OPL teaching model spectroscope is also a sound investment.
I never recommend getting bargain refractometers, nor reflectivity gizmos for gem identification. They are NOT reliable instruments and your reputation can easily be destroyed by just one bad call.
I got the 5th edition of the handbook on paper. 7 kgs in total as a birthday present from my wife a few years ago. I mainly use it as a kind of second opinion.
Also a good book about geology is important. There are a lot of entry level texts, but I find the somewhar advanced “earth materials” from cornelis klein et al very nice. But there more good text books.
Gems by o’donoghue from 2005 is also nice, but it shows its age. But it has a great provenance starting with robert webster.
Don’t overlook the wealth of information available through the Gems&Gemology website.
It now offers the complete archive of every article ever published in G&G for free download.
a few years ago. I mainly use it as a kind of second opinion.