Below is a sample of the two day course in Practical Field Gemmology

The cost for the course is $100 and students require a set of gemmology tools consisting of the items below. As you can see some are available to be bought at the start of the course and some you will need to purchase beforehand.

1. 10x lens - purchase prior to the course.

2. Polariscope portable - you can purchase a folding model at the course for $25.

3. Spectroscope - you can purchase one at the course for $70.

4. a black block of wood for the spectroscope and a LED long wave UV light - available $5

5. a non LED pen light - purchase prior to the course.

 

 

Two Day Practical Field Gemmology Certificate  

This course is provided by the North Brisbane Lapidary Club and is designed to provide the skills that are most helpful in seeking to identify gem material using unaided observation and inexpensive hand held tools

Tuition is provided by Ross Chapman and Jim Jeavons who are qualified Gemmologists (FGA), experienced in teaching gemmology and are NBLC members

The course outline is as follows:

Start Day 9am at the NBLC club rooms

Observation

• Without a loupe
• Using a 10X loupe with pen and bench lights to examine the following gems:
• Paste
• Synthetic corundum (flame fusion)
• Zircon
• GTD/Sapphire doublet
• Amber
• Peridot
• Dyed jadeite/quartz
• Tourmaline
• Quartz
• Using an immersion cell to examine gems
• Use of a microscope (discussion only)
• Obsevation of crystals:
• Beryl
• Calcite-cleaved rhomb
• Flourite – cleaved octahedral and crystals
• Garnet
• Quartz
• Tourmaline
• Spinel

Practical - Using workbook

Use of a polariscope

• Glass
• Quartz
• Agate
• Synthetic spinel
• Other gems

Practical - Using workbook

Long wave UV light and with without green tinted sun glasses

• Fluorescence in red gems coloured by chrome
• Other red gems
• Other gems that fluorescence

Practical - Using workbook

Day one Ends 4.30 to 5.00 pm

 

Day 2

Start at 9AM

Brief discussion on what has been learnt on day 1

Using a refractometer - practical demonstration and Discussion

Introducing Using visual optics

Spectroscope- Demonsration and discussion on use, Test stones to include:

 

• Natural Sapphire
• Synthetic Sapphire
• Ruby
• Almandine Garnet
• Red & blue Spinel
• Pink Tourmaline
• Peridot
• Glass- various colours
• Emerald
• Zircon
• Blue Beryl

• Practical Spectroscope- Using workbook

Practical -identifying unknown gems through applying skills from the workshop

Set of 10 gems provided

• Review of 2 day course

 

Day 2 ends at 4.30 PM