Syllabus

How the words work

The same idea, in plain language or in the language of the desk. Gemology terms stay in place. Daily lesson notes are published by the shop, in English, one day at a time. This page is open to everyone.

Instruments

Beginner

Refractive index

Light slows down when it enters a gem. Refractive index, written RI, is the number for how much it slows. A higher number often means more sparkle, but the number by itself does not name the stone.

The full path

Two-week courses stop early. Twelve-week courses walk the whole list. Tradition is taught as belief.

1. What gemology is
2. History, told as history, not as a miracle
3. Gemstone words
4. Crystal systems
5. Minerals, rocks and gem materials
6. Physical properties
7. Optical properties
8. Colour, transparency and lustre
9. Hardness and toughness
10. Specific gravity
11. Refractive index
12. Birefringence, pleochroism, dispersion, fluorescence
13. Inclusions and clarity
14. Natural, synthetic and imitation
15. Heat, filling, diffusion, irradiation, coating
16. Lab-grown materials
17. Diamond, and why cubic zirconia is not diamond
18. Coloured stones, including corundum, beryl and quartz
19. Cabochon and facet, cuts and shapes
20. Origin only when it is known
21. Grading only by a stated method
22. Laboratory reports, named only when one exists
23. Buying, selling and jewellery use
24. Care of the stone
25. Professional ethics
26. Tradition, including Navagraha, labelled as belief