Frequently Asked Questions

What do we do, and why do we do it?

The advantages gemmological knowledge offer are many and varied. You can obtain this gemmological knowledge through the GAA’s extensive professional training programs that are run by the Association’s State Divisions.

These are a guide to some of the more frequently asked questions:

• What is gemmology?
• What is a gemstone?
• What are the advantages of gemmological knowledge?
• What is a gemmologist? 

Articles on gems and related topics of interest:

Articles reprinted from "Jewellery World"
authored by Katherine Kovaks (pdf format):

• Topaz
• Tanzanite

Articles reprinted from "The Jeweller" by Gary Holloway, Kathryn Wyatt and Katherine Kovak on various facet "cuts" used on gems (pdf format):

• Emerald
• Pear cut
• Round Brilliant
• Asscher cut
• Cushion cut
• Oval cut
• Radiant cut
• Marquise cut
• Princess cut
• Heart cut

A Brief Look at Gemmology

To get a taste of what gemmology is all about, the Tasmanian division of the GAA has produced this brief presentation on common gem minerals.

The presentation may be viewed by following this link to an Adobe Portable Document (PDF) file (557kb) or it can also be viewed as a Microsoft PowerPoint (PPS) file (880kb)

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