Profession gemmologist

Gemmologists value precious stones by analysing their characteristics, cut, and provenience either for trading or for further polishing efforts. They asses stones and gems to give them a market value.

Personality Type

• Conventional / Enterprising
• Conventional / Realistic
• Enterprising / Conventional

Knowledge

• Gemstone grading systems

  Systems used by different institutes to analyse and grade gemstones e.g. Gemological Institute of America, Hoge Raad voor Diamant and European Gemological Laboratory.

• Gemology

  The branch of mineralogy that studies natural and artificial gemstones.

• Gemstones

  Types of minerals or petrified materials that are cut and polished for use in jewellery, classified according to type, characteristics, and value.

Skills

• Operate microscope

  Operate a microscope, an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye to see.

• Calculate value of gems

  Determine appraised value of gemstones such as diamonds and pearls; study price guides, market fluctuations and grades of rarity.

• Identify gemstones

  Determine the identity of gemstones by doing a series of tests.

• Examine gems

  Closely examine gemstone surfaces using polariscopes or other optical instruments.

• Recognise fake goods

  Identify imitation and counterfeit products using methods and equipment such as microscopes and laboratory analysis in order to determine their properties.

• Write gemstone grading report

  Write a grading report to determine the quality of gemstones.

• Use gemstone identification equipment

  Operate equipment to identify gemstones such as scales, refractometer, and spectroscope.

• Immerse gemstones in chemical liquid

  Use chemical solutions to identify the properties of gemstones.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB