24-week independent study guide · SiRaSiR Gem & Lapidary Academy
Use a specimen notebook. Instrument and workshop exercises need appropriate supervision.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Write a three-question intake sheet for a diamond examination and list the evidence you would seek for each. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Label a diamond anatomy sketch and locate the same features on a public sample report. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Convert 0.60 grams to carats and draft a record that distinguishes measured values from estimates. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Compare teaching specimens under an instructor-approved setup and record relative observations without claiming a laboratory grade. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Create a simple inclusion sketch for a teaching stone and explain how you avoided counting reflections twice. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Describe two sample stones under diffused and point lighting, noting what changes when each stone moves. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Draft a condition checklist that separates polish features, symmetry observations, and damage. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Review a sample report’s fluorescence entry and list what it tells you and what it does not establish. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Compare the stated capabilities of a screening instrument with the three identity questions from module one. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Write a referral note asking a laboratory to address a clearly defined unresolved treatment or origin question. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Review a sample report and make a specimen-matching checklist with a field for discrepancies. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Read the lesson and watch its captioned explainer. Write three observations or principles in your notebook. Answer the self-check before revealing its answer.
Present a complete diamond case file and a short customer consultation for instructor review. Record your method, evidence, limitations, and any unanswered questions. For instruments or machines, work only with appropriate supervision and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Diamond is a specific material, and its appearance alone does not establish identity or origin category. Begin by separating three questions: is the specimen diamond, is it naturally formed or laboratory-grown, and has it been treated? Each question can require different evidence. A colorless imitation may look similar while having different fundamental properties. Keep intake records and state the scope of each test. A successful screening result is not automatically a complete identification and origin determination.
Write a three-question intake sheet for a diamond examination and list the evidence you would seek for each.
Does diamond identity establish natural origin?
Answer: No. A diamond can be naturally formed or laboratory-grown.
Learn the table, crown, girdle, pavilion, and culet, then distinguish a shape outline from a faceting style. Proportions describe relationships between parts of the stone. Measurements help explain how weight is distributed, but a few numbers do not tell the complete visual story. Sketch a cross-section and connect each measurement to a physical feature. Review multiple views of a specimen so you can distinguish a shallow appearance, a deep profile, and uneven or damaged features without jumping to a final grade.
Label a diamond anatomy sketch and locate the same features on a public sample report.
Is “round” a complete cut-quality description?
Answer: No. It describes an outline; proportions, finish, and visual performance also matter.
A metric carat equals 0.2 grams. Use a suitable calibrated balance to record weight and appropriate instruments to record dimensions. Mounted stones may not allow direct weighing or complete measurements; estimates must be labeled as estimates and include their limitations. Keep the specimen and its record together throughout examination. Distinguish the measured weight of a loose stone from a calculated estimate. Do not imply that a mounted-stone estimate has the same precision as a direct measurement.
Convert 0.60 grams to carats and draft a record that distinguishes measured values from estimates.
How many carats is 0.60 grams?
Answer: Three carats: divide the mass in grams by 0.2.
For diamonds in the normal D-to-Z range, controlled comparison is essential. GIA’s scale runs from D toward increasing yellow or brown coloration at Z. Casual viewing in jewelry-store lights is not equivalent to laboratory grading. Record viewing conditions and distinguish an observation from a formal grade. Fancy-color diamond assessment has a different scope and should not be forced into the normal range framework. Practice comparisons with an instructor and suitable reference stones rather than assigning grades from photographs.
Compare teaching specimens under an instructor-approved setup and record relative observations without claiming a laboratory grade.
Can a phone photo establish a precise color grade?
Answer: No. Lighting, camera processing, and the display can alter the appearance.
Clarity examination considers internal inclusions and external blemishes. Under the GIA framework, grading observations are assessed at 10×, considering features such as size, number, location, nature, and relief. Begin with a consistent scanning pattern and sketch what you see. Distinguish reflected images of a feature from separate features. Avoid grading from a single dramatic microscope photograph. Practical grading needs suitable specimens, controlled technique, and feedback from an experienced instructor. Your notes should separate observed characteristics from the proposed interpretation.
Create a simple inclusion sketch for a teaching stone and explain how you avoided counting reflections twice.
Why is a close-up photograph alone insufficient for clarity grading?
Answer: It may exaggerate one feature and does not provide the complete standardized examination.
Cut quality involves proportions, symmetry, polish, and the way a diamond handles light. Brightness, colored flashes, and changes with movement are different observations. A stone can have an attractive shape yet show uneven visual performance. Examine under more than one suitable viewing condition and avoid conclusions from a single spotlight. Not every shape or diamond category uses the same laboratory cut-grade system. Read the report’s scope before interpreting a cut term, and keep personal preference separate from an assessed grade.
Describe two sample stones under diffused and point lighting, noting what changes when each stone moves.
Are shape and cut grade interchangeable?
Answer: No. Shape describes the outline; cut assessment concerns additional fashioning and performance factors.
Surface finish and facet arrangement are related but distinct. Polish observations concern the finished surface; symmetry observations concern alignment and arrangement. Chips, abrasions, and other condition features may affect use and interpretation. Examine the girdle, facet junctions, and visible surface features systematically. A condition review should not become an unsupported prediction of repair success. Document existing damage before any work is agreed, and consult an appropriate specialist when a recut or repair is being considered.
Draft a condition checklist that separates polish features, symmetry observations, and damage.
Why document condition before a repair discussion?
Answer: It establishes the starting point and supports an informed decision about scope and possible loss.
Fluorescence is an observed response to suitable excitation, not a shortcut to diamond origin. Record the instrument, conditions, and response rather than describing a specimen as natural based on glow alone. The relationship between fluorescence and appearance depends on the individual specimen. Follow instrument instructions and appropriate UV precautions. A laboratory report may record fluorescence, but that entry should be read within the report’s stated scope. Screening and identification remain separate from assumptions about beauty or financial value.
Review a sample report’s fluorescence entry and list what it tells you and what it does not establish.
Does fluorescence alone prove natural origin?
Answer: No. Origin determination requires appropriate evidence beyond that observation.
Laboratory-grown diamond has the fundamental material properties of diamond. A simulant resembles diamond but is another material. Basic diamond testers may not resolve natural versus laboratory-grown origin and may have limitations with particular simulants. Read the exact instrument capabilities rather than inferring them from a sales name. CVD and HPHT describe growth approaches, but identifying growth history requires suitable evidence. Use a laboratory when the required determination exceeds available equipment or expertise. Report terminology can differ between laboratories and over time.
Compare the stated capabilities of a screening instrument with the three identity questions from module one.
Can every diamond tester prove a stone is natural?
Answer: No. Many instruments address material screening without determining natural versus laboratory-grown origin.
Diamond treatments can affect color or clarity, and their detection may require specialist methods. Never infer untreated status merely because a stone looks attractive or because a basic screening device accepts it. Review the report for its conclusions and limitations, and check what services the issuing laboratory actually performed. When the evidence is incomplete, use a referral decision: what question remains, which service can answer it, and what preparation is required? The customer-facing description should preserve unresolved questions.
Write a referral note asking a laboratory to address a clearly defined unresolved treatment or origin question.
What is the right response to uncertain treatment status?
Answer: State the uncertainty and seek an appropriate laboratory determination rather than claiming untreated status.
Use the issuing laboratory’s verification system to check report details. Compare the document with the actual specimen using measurements, features, and any inscription that can be examined. Verification of a number does not establish ownership or guarantee that a seller’s stone matches the report. Different report formats may have different assessment scopes. Read the conclusion and comments carefully. Keep a copy of the evidence used to match the specimen, and refer mismatches for review before making a sales claim.
Review a sample report and make a specimen-matching checklist with a field for discrepancies.
What should happen if dimensions or identifying details do not agree?
Answer: Pause the claim that the report belongs to that stone and investigate the discrepancy.
Assemble an evidence file for a teaching diamond: intake record, measured or estimated values, observations, report details, verification record, condition review, and unresolved questions. Explain the four Cs in plain language without implying that the file predicts future value. Identify which conclusions come from a laboratory and which are your observations. Ask a qualified instructor to review practical technique and the final description. This capstone demonstrates disciplined communication; formal professional grading competence requires supervised practice and assessment.
Present a complete diamond case file and a short customer consultation for instructor review.
What distinguishes an observation from a grading conclusion?
Answer: An observation records what was seen; a grading conclusion applies a defined method within its stated scope.