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The Polished Diamond Grading Course

 

The Polished Diamond Grading Course is an expert level course for those who require the skills to grade diamonds at a professional level.

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Benefits

An in-depth course, combining online learning and testing, followed by a 5-day laboratory experience. This course gives students the skills to grade polished diamonds to a professional standard.

Features

  • To gain the required theoretical knowledge, students work through our interactive online learning modules. Hosted on a bespoke website, it provides a secure interactive learning experience. The course is mobile friendly to allow students to study wherever and whenever, they have internet connection.

  • The online study is supported by regular testing and discussions with a course tutor to ensure that all learning outcomes are being met.

  • The laboratory experience aims to put the theoretical knowledge learnt into context by giving the students the chance to work on a large number of carefully selected polished diamonds, provided by De Beers Group. The number of attendants for each session is kept low to ensure the best possible learning experience.

  • A final practical exam must be passed in order to complete the course and receive the independently accredited ‘Certificate of Achievement’. The course is internationally accredited by the CPD.

  • Take away a De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds gemmological kit which includes a loupe, tweezers and scoop, inside a branded vegan leather case.

Careers

This course will help you develop skills which will be particularly useful in the following scenarios: Jewellery Design (advanced level), Jewellery Manufacturing (advanced level), Diamond Grading Role (advanced level), Diamond Dealer Role, Diamond Procurement, Diamond Trading, Retail Senior Management, Training Managers.

Upcoming Courses

The courses below (listed by the date of the lab course element) are available to book and purchase online. To do this please register with our website by clicking sign in or register in the top right hand corner of the screen. Once logged in you will be able to add a course date to your basket and check out. Should you have any issues please contact us.

  • Maidenhead, UK week commencing 16 August 2021 (available for purchase until 16 May 2021, to allow sufficient time for the prior study)

If you are interested in taking this course in Surat, India or Antwerp, Belgium, please contact us.

If you are interested in taking this course in Gaborone, Botswana please contact the local team to discuss. It is priced at P 15,000.

Course Details

Minimum 3 month online study, followed by a 5-day practical laboratory experience in a De Beers Group location.

Entry Requirements

Students must have previously completed the Diamond Foundation Course (or a suitably equivalent course), before enrolment will be confirmed.

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Online Study Modules

  • 1. A Diamond is Forever

    In any career within the diamond industry, an understanding the entire overview of the full pipeline is critical. Throughout this entire course you will study every individual aspect of it – but this first module aims to give you an overview of some key historical aspects, in order to set the context for the learning ahead.

  • 2. Theoretical Essentials

    The Theoretical Essentials module covers all of the necessary scientific and technical aspects of polished diamond. This section must be understood in order to further your grading skills later on.

  • 3. Standards & Equipment

    In every industry it is important to set standards and the diamond industry is no different. In this module you will learn about standards in general as well as those applied by the Institute of Diamonds. In this module you will also find out how the use of gemmological equipment enables a consistent grading standard which itself leads onto consumer confidence in diamonds.

  • 4. Carat

    Carat weight is probably the easiest of the 4Cs but that does not mean it is unimportant. This module will take you from the ancient methods of weighing diamonds up to today’s use of precise measuring scales. Understanding carat weight is key as it is a major consideration in Cut, which will be dealt with in a later module.

  • 5. Clarity

    Every diamond is unique. Of the 4Cs, clarity is the factor that most differentiates one from the next. Throughout this module, you’ll take a deep dive into unlocking the immense world of character, captured within every diamond.  Furthermore, discover how to locate, identify, illustrate and evaluate diamond clarity to intricate laboratory standards.

  • 6. Colour

    Colour is essential in all aspects of daily life, specialised in many different industries, including our own. This module aims to teach you the significance of colour on diamond value, introduce you to the colour scale, touch upon our laboratory standards before detailing a full laboratory standard colour grading methodology which you will be applying during your practical week.

  • 7. Cut

    Cut is by far the most complex discipline of the 4Cs, with arguably the largest impact on appearance. Through this module, we will delve into the detail of what makes cut significant within the 4Cs, and why it is vital that you, as a diamond academic, understand the full nature of cut and how it impacts the appearance of a diamond. 

  • 8. Rough to Polished

    Although there are some pieces of jewellery that feature rough diamonds most will comprise of polished stones. In this module you will be introduced into the world of the cutter and polisher. This is where the human touch comes into play to maximise the qualities locked up inside the rough crystals and give us the brilliant gems we admire so much.

  • 9. Elements of Rarity & Beauty

    Rarity, beauty and value are the three key elements that drive people around the globe to buy and wear diamonds. 
    This module complements what you have learnt so far about the 4Cs by looking at polished diamonds from a different angle. An angle less focused on technical or scientific scrutiny and more on the emotions of the end consumer.

     

  • 10. Simulants, Synthetics & Treatments

    Diamond simulants and treatments have existed for many years but today there is a rise in synthetic diamonds coming onto the market. To maintain consumer confidence in the natural product it is essential that the industry has available techniques to screen and detect all simulants, treatments and synthetics.

How the 1-week laboratory experience works

You will be eligible for the laboratory experience after having completed the modules and assessments.

Day 1

AM: Introduction, Diamond Basics and Colour and Fluorescence
PM: Clarity Grading

Day 2

AM: Clarity grading, Cut(Proportions, Symmetry & Polish)
PM: Cut grading 

Day 3

AM: Grading -Colour/Fluorescence/Cut/Clarity
PM: Grading -Colour/Fluorescence/Cut/Clarity

Day 4

AM: Grading Colour/Fluorescence/Cut/Clarity, Practise Assessment 
PM: Assessment feedback & targeted learning 

Day 5

AM: Grading Colour/Fluorescence/Cut/Clarity, Practise Assessment 
PM: Earn your certificate of achievement and apply your new skills

Course Details

Minimum 3 month online study, followed by a 5-day practical laboratory experience in a De Beers Group location.

Entry Requirements

Students must have previously completed the Diamond Foundation Course (or a suitably equivalent course), before enrolment will be confirmed.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • I work full-time and can only study in my spare time, how long will it take me to finish the online study and assessments?

    Although everyone works at a different pace, we think that each module and associated tests will take you on average 4 hours to complete and all of the modules could be completed in an estimated time frame of 3-4 months. You can study for longer as needed, but it’s important that you are comfortable with this in-depth knowledge, to get the best from the 1 week laboratory class.

  • I don’t live near one of the De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds facilities where the 1-week laboratory based portion of the course is held, does this mean I cannot attend?

    Even though we typically hold the 1-week laboratory based portion of the course in one of our facilities in the UK, Antwerp or Surat, we also offer the course in other locations (where demand is present) to ensure all can have the opportunity to attend. Please get in contact to discuss in more detail the prospect of delivering a course closer to you.

  • Once I have completed all aspects of this course, will I be able to grade and sort polished diamonds at a professional level?

    This course is designed to take students deeper into the world of polished diamonds and diamond grading, and explore how a wide range of characteristics and processes go into creating a polished diamond. At the end of the course they should feel confident in identifying a diamonds colour and clarity characteristics, as well as make determinations on cut and carat weight. However to be truly confident with grading polished diamonds, takes years of hands on experience.

  • What do I need to bring to the 1 week laboratory course?

    Joining instructions will detail which downloadable materials from the online study you will need to bring along to the laboratory course. Any additional material will be handed out as required, this includes all gemmological equipment.

  • What are the technical requirements for accessing the course?

    The education site runs in most modern web browsers, therefore you will require a computer/device capable of running one of the following: 

    • Chrome v54 upwards 
    • Firefox v49 upwards 
    • Internet Explorer 11 
    • Microsoft Edge (Windows) v13 upwards 
    • Safari on Mac v9.1 upwards 
    • iOS Safari (mobile and tablet) 
    • Chrome for Android (mobile and tablet) 
    • Samsung Internet 
    Cookies and JavaScript must also be enabled for the education site to run correctly.

  • What does CPD accreditation mean?

    Accredited CPD training means the learning activity has reached the required Continuing Professional Development standards and benchmarks. The learning value has been scrutinised to ensure integrity and quality. The CPD Certification Service provides recognised independent CPD accreditation compatible with global CPD requirements. See the CPD Certification Services' website for further details. 
     

Contact Us

For further information about any of our courses or to speak to us about arranging bespoke in-house events for your company please contact us.

Contact Us