A Gemology Practical Certificate will now be issued to all students who pass the practical section of the Gemmological Association and Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain’s Diploma exam. This new proof of high-level practical gemological skills will be back-dated to make the certificate available to all who have passed the diploma-level practical exam since it was revised in January 2002.

Students who have passed the Gem-A Foundation Certificate in Gemology will now be eligible to take the Practical Certificate exam. They also have to pass the theory section of the Diploma exam to gain the Association’s full diploma and be eligible for election as Fellows of the Association. However, the theory section can now be taken at any time after the Gemology Practical Certificate has been achieved.

Gem-A’s chief executive Dr. Jack Ogden points out that all those interested in gemology, whether professionally or as amateurs, will be “better able to pace their learning and achievements to match their needs and lifestyles.”

Ian Mercer, Gem-A’s director of education, notes that Gem-A’s emphasis on practical gemology is increased with this new certificate. As he points out, the practical study helps students “prepare for the realities of modern hands-on gem identification.”

For further information, contact Mercer at (44-207) 404 3334, ian.mercer@gem-a.info, or visit www.gem-a.info.