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 Post subject: GG and AG?
PostPosted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 1:56 am 
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Hello all!

I'm weighing up the pros and cons of pursuing an AG from AIGS or GG from GIA in Bangkok as someone who would like to turn a lifelong interest into a profession.

In my travels across the interwebs I've come accross a few people who have both AG and GG after their names.

What is it that compels someone to acquire both diplomas?

At a glance it appears that both courses have significant overlap, though GG seems to focus more on diamonds (understanbly, being GIA) but lacks the valuation and pricing component that is present in the AG course, which to me seems like a glaring omission, so I can understand why a GG would want to fill that gap at AIGS. But that still doesn't explain why they went the whole hog and did AG too unless perhaps they found that the AIGS experience complemented their existing GG foundation and enjoyed refreshing their knowledge so much that they thought "oh what the hell, why not" which is perfectly understandable to a geek such as myself. Still though, the amount of time, money and opportunity-cost required for such an undertaking strikes me as curious.

An experienced dealer who graduated from AIGS many moons ago (like hundreds of moons ago) and then brushed up on diamonds at GIA once told me that if he could have his time again he would have done it the other way round and got his GG first before brushing up on coloured stones and valuation at AIGS because he found that his career trajectory was handicapped in the early stages from not having the GG name recognition.

So maybe the people who decided to do both GG and AG are a variation on that theme?

What am I missing in this picture?

If you've made it this far then thank you for reading and please forgive me for all the questions, enquiring minds want to know!


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 Post subject: Re: GG and AG?
PostPosted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 2:45 pm 
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GIA is the most recognized gemological institute in the world.
If you are going to be dealing in diamonds, it would be a better choice.


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 Post subject: Re: GG and AG?
PostPosted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 9:16 pm 
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Barbra Voltaire wrote:
GIA is the most recognized gemological institute in the world.
If you are going to be dealing in diamonds, it would be a better choice.


At this point I don't really know what I'll do to "make it pay" yet. I'm also interested in the design and jewellery side of things but that's for another thread.

Since I find all stones equally interesting I would hazard a guess that I will be involved with coloured stones, at least at first. I'm also well aware that there are plenty of successful dealers who have never done a formal valuation and pricing course because they picked that up just by being in the trade, so please don't take my post as an inferrence that you have to do a course in order to know how to price things. :D

Just curious as to the motivations of people who somehow end up doing both the GG and the AG in whichever order. #-o


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 Post subject: Re: GG and AG?
PostPosted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:53 pm 
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The motivation would be to acquire additional knowledge and trade connections.


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 Post subject: Re: GG and AG?
PostPosted: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:59 am 
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Barbra Voltaire wrote:
The motivation would be to acquire additional knowledge and trade connections.


Thank you Barbra.


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