Frequently asked questions
What is a gemmologist?
Gemmologists identify gemstones, ornamental materials, biological gem materials, and their synthetics (exact duplicates), imitations (look-alikes), and value-enhanced forms, and, as well, evaluate their quality. The gemmologist appreciates the desirable attributes that make gemstones — their beauty, rarity, and durability.
In their day-to-day work gemmologists may any or all of the following tasks:
- Identify near-colourless gemstones such as diamond, coloured stones, ornamental materials, rocks, and biological gem materials using a combination of visual observation, examination under magnification using the gemmologist’s 10x hand and the gemmologist’s binocular microscope, and a range of specialised gem testing instruments.
- Discriminate natural gemstone’s from their man-made synthetics and imitations.
- Identify and discriminate all value-enhanced and otherwise artificially treated gemstones, ornamental and biological gem materials.
- Assess the quality of all gemstones and other gem materials.
- Assess and quantify damage to gemstones and gem materials.
Gemmology, the science of gemstones, requires that the gemmologist identify gemstones using his or her specialised knowledge and appropriate gem testing instruments.
Gemmologists usually work indoors, either independently or as employees of gem merchants, manufacturing jewellers, wholesale jewellers, or retail jewellers. At times gemmologists may be required to work under quite primitive conditions to identify and evaluate parcels of rough and cut gemstones that are offered for sale in often quite remote mining localities. It is indeed a fact that geologists and mining engineers who are also gemmologists are much in demand.
Gemmologists must have a basic love for gemstones, an inquiring mind, a reasonable academic ability, common sense, dedication, patience, a good memory, and a meticulous attention to detail.
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