Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:16 am Posts: 305 Location: Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok
Thanks for the nice welcome to the forum everyone. Just wanted to pass along that I took the colored stone essentials final exam today. I feel confident that I got a very good score, but I missed at least one question. I hope that the ones I was certain about don't let me down!!!
After the test I had a chance to spend some time peering through the microscope with one of the instructors at the school- I travelled a couple of hours to get there and take the test and I had never been in a place with so many gems and microscopes!
What an amazing experience. I am addicted. Get me out now before it is too late. When I zoomed in on a ruby and saw the clouds and the crystals and the fractures (parts? cleavage?) with my own eyes I just said "WOW!!!" And then I said it again. The instructor laughed about that. But let's face it, there is a whole completely different world inside those gems. It' so exciting and induces so much curiosity in me. "What is this?!?! What is that?!?! WOW!!!"
This feels like the start of a very long adventure.
_________________ Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. ~Mark Twain
Good luck on your adventure, you will never know which path you will end up with... there are a lot to do within the field of gemmology... And yes, gemstones are fascinating indeed...
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:08 am Posts: 832 Location: Nashville, TN
Hi Dave,
Let us know when you get your test results. I am sure you did well. I love hearing your enthusiasm for gemology! It will serve you well and help you to become a knowledgeable gemologist. That is part of what I really enjoyed about my lab classes was meeting other people who were all very excited about learning. They had come to this field of study for many different reasons. But they were all excited to be there.
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:16 am Posts: 305 Location: Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok
I don't have my test results yet- tomorrow should be the big day. In the meantime no grass is growing under my feet. The TekBay guy (that's like UPS here in Korea) brought another course for me on Saturday- Diamond Essentials. Here it is Sunday night (OK, very early Monday morning) and I am without a thing to study. I burned through all seven assignments in the last two days and requested a final for that course.
Please, please tell me that Diamonds and Diamond Grading will slow me down a bit. I need something that lasts more than a weekend! At this rate I will put myself in the poorhouse. Also, are the "bigger" courses heavier on technical content and lighter on salesmanship? I am ready for the ~real~ gemology parts!
Thanks for the encouragement everybody! Carrie, I am extremely excited to do some lab classes! I am planning on doing two of them in Bangkok this December. I wish I could do those sooner but unfortunately the only labs here are in Korean and my command of the language isn't good enough for that!
_________________ Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. ~Mark Twain
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:08 am Posts: 832 Location: Nashville, TN
Hi Dave,
Yes, the content definitely ramps up in the next courses. Colored Stones is a biggie and will keep you busy. Diamonds and Diamond Grading has more technical content and is challenging. The Essentials courses are like little intros to the bigger courses. There is some sales related content in all of them, but it does not overwhelm the other topics in the bigger courses. Gem ID will keep you the most busy and is very technical. You will be studying and identifying close to 500 stones. You will love it.
Try to make sure that you are retaining what you read for more than short term recall. I would get excited about finishing sections quickly only to find that I had not read the text completely and would have to re-read parts later. I can sometimes start skimming the text before I realize I am doing it. But going quickly is fine and those short essential course do go super fast. Good to keep your momentum going and your excitement for the material.
I am waiting for the results of my Pearls exam. I can see in my virtual campus that I passed as it shows I completed the course. But I have not received my letter yet with my score. I know I missed one question but hopefully not many more than that.
Keep it going Dave. I look forward to hearing what you think of the bigger courses! -Carrie
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:16 am Posts: 305 Location: Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok
Oh no- you've identified me as a skimmer. Well, I guess in some ways I am guilty as charged. Sections like "security" I did read but I did not read nearly as carefully as the clarity assignment. I have to admit that I have quite a bit of time off in my job so I can study virtually all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That gives me a pretty big advantage over someone who is doing this course on the side and working 40 or 50 hours per week.
I have a three-week vacation coming up which begins on the 15th. I plan to focus hard on my Diamonds and Diamond Grading course. How long can I expect to spend on that course if I am comfortable studying about eight hours per day? It is not really that I want to hurry through the material, but I enjoy it so much and I have the time to spend on it right now. I've not always been so lucky so I want to be productive with this time!
_________________ Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. ~Mark Twain
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:08 am Posts: 832 Location: Nashville, TN
Hey Dave,
Well I just looked at my binder for Diamond and Diamond Grading and it has 20 chapters. So it will probably still go quickly for you but not as quick. It is denser material and it also comes with a really nice DVD. You should have a very enjoyable study vacation! Looking at that text and the DVD, I am still stunned at the immense nature of the diamond industry, especially the mining operations. It is really quite mind blowing.
Cheers-Carrie
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:16 am Posts: 305 Location: Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok
I got my results for the Colored Stone Essentials final last night- 92%! Not bad at all. Is there any way to find out which ones I missed? I am so curious!
_________________ Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. ~Mark Twain
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:16 am Posts: 305 Location: Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok
They called me this morning to tell me there was a mistake grading my exam and I got a 94%! WOW!!! I'm so happy!!!!! And thanks for the vote of confidence Barbra!!!
I take the Diamond Essentials test in Seoul on Saturday, and I hope to pick up my course materials for Diamonds and Diamond Grading then. EXCITING!!!!!!
_________________ Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. ~Mark Twain
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