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 Post subject: Gem-A Foundation questions...
PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:20 pm 
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Hello All,

I've just started the Foundation course via distance learning and had a couple of questions. :?

First, I wasn't overly impressed with the instruments that arrived in the Foundation Kit.

I already own a fairly large selection of gemmological tools and they are all a lot better than what was supplied.

Is it okay to use my instruments for practical exams? Or do I have to use the ones supplied. ie. I have a really nice black-cased Belomo x10 triplet loupe, which I am really used to using and feel comfortable with - the Gem-A kit has a basic chrome-cased loupe which doesn't have the same weight or feel to it.

Secondly, I've worked in the jewellery industry in the past, but on the design side. Whilst I did end up as the company's diamond and stone buyer, this was with the help of a few books and some great dealers who were happy to spend time educating me.

So, I've ended up with a patchy education where I know a lot about some bits, some about others and none about a lot!

I've noticed in some of the assignment questions that some answers could be improved by adding in comments on certain tests and typical inclusions that could be used for stone ID. However, I haven't reached the point in the course where these have been studied.

Should I include these extra bits, or am I supposed to answer all questions only with what we have 'officially' learnt so far?

Finally - can someone explain whether or not gemstones can be metallic? Is haematite a gemstone for example??

Congratulations if you have staggered through my post to get this far! :)


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:46 pm 
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Hi and welcome,

1. Yes you are allowed to bring your own instruments. On the foundation exam that will not be a whole lot, but you will be informed about that by Gem-A when the times comes.

2. Give the best answers you can, but stay on topic.

3. Yes hematite is considered a gem (and has a metalic lustre).

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:46 pm 
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Many thanks for the reply.

The reason for my third question is that in the Example Answer in the course notes for the First Assignment, they give the following as the answer for the first part of Question 1:

1(a) Gem: a material, other than a metal, often valuable, beautiful, durable.

This was the question by the way.

(a) A friend asks you why certain materials are thought of as ‘gems’. What factors would you give in your answer? Give examples to explain these factors. (14)

So, I started wondering about haematite, marcasite, cassiterite etc and if there was some other classification for them!


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:28 am 
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Hi,

Hematite is a mineral with a metalic lustre, not a metal.
I'm not sure if marcasite will be considered a gem as it crumbles easily when exposed to air (the material we name marcasite in some jewellery is actually pyrite).

Anyway, stick to what the course work tells you.

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 Post subject: How long will it take?
PostPosted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:13 pm 
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How long do you figure the foundation course will take you? I should finish my GG by April or May, and I feel a little bit itchy to start something new. I thought the foundation course would be interesting. And how long to do the diploma course? I know if varies a lot from person to person, I am just curious about averages.

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PostPosted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:43 pm 
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hi davegimchee:

Not 100% sure but I think if you have a GG you can write "challenge exams" with Gem-A. I know you can when you finish the Canadian equivilent of a GG. You might want to check it out :)

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 Post subject: test out?
PostPosted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:56 pm 
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Is this the same as testing for credit for the foundation portion? I know that a diploma with some schools will earn you a pass on the foundation portion but a GG doesn't do this for you. Maybe I can test out though. But I have heard that the two programs are different enough that they complement each other well. That is what makes it so appealing for me, plus my European customers don't know what a GG is. :(

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:44 pm 
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I've started the foundation course last January, and I'm currently aiming to complete in a year and a half - in time for the June 2009 exams. My tutor wrote in his original letter he advised a two year period depending on how much opportunity one has to work with gems. As you see I've taken it down six months, having no wife or kids I figured it could work out. My schedule is to finish one assignment (those are like homework papers you have to do after studying each chapter) every three weeks, with some weeks thrown in for holidays and breaks, and about two months for final revision before the exam.

And here's what the Gem-A letter says about foundation exams and the G.G:

"
A practical endorsement is to be obtained before sitting the Foundation exam. Students will need to arrange to attend a one-day workshop at either Gem-A, an ATC or an AGTC (...)
Students holding the GIA GG and the UK NAG Gemstone Diploma are exempt from the practical endorsement. To apply for this exemption please send us a copy of the appropriate certificate.
"

So it seems that indeed the GG does not exempt you from any part of the course or the exams. I didn't look much further into this, as I don't have the GG myself, but in doubt check the Gem-A's website or write them a mail...

As to the diploma course, my tutor advised everyone to assign two years, in order to provide for practical gem testing experience.

Much about the timing depends on the time you can assign to it, and the arrangements you can make with your tutor. Mine asked to provide two weeks at least between every assignment, but I know of at least one forum member who arranged a much tighter schedule with his tutor. So seeing you've got a lot of experience already you could specifically ask for a tighter schedule I guess...

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 4:39 pm 
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Hi Dave,

My own tutor gave me the same advice as keirkof's. Two years for each, though like Keirkof I did my foundation in 18 months. You can of course do it quicker but if you are going to work your way through the written assignments then 18 months is a good schedule. There are about 20 of these assignments in the foundation and around 15 or so in the diploma. My tutor won't let me send the next one until he has marked and returned the previous one so with postage time taken into account one every two to three weeks is about the best that can be hoped for. The foundation also includes a minimum of one day practical workshop which is signed for by the person who takes you for it. I think this is the part that your GG will exempt you from. I think canadian and Australian diploma holders can get exemption from the foundation course but if you want all the information that's in the course notes then you might as well do the whole thing.

The course notes are being upgraded and renewed later this year as part of the Gem-A's centenniary celebrations so it might be best to wait until later in the year to start the course as the notes will have more up to date information in them. (ie current notes barely mention bulk diffusion)

All assignments must be hand written (no keyboards) but this is good practice for the exams. The foundation exam consists of a three hour written paper and a three hour practical exam which also requires essay type written answers. The diploma exam is two three hour written exams and a three and a half hour practical exam

I will be sitting my diploma exams in June and have taken the full two years over it. Not because it can't be done quicker but because I have enjoyed the course and by stretching it out I have I hope aquired a deeper and more profound grasp of the subject.

I don't think that the written assignments are compulsory so if you signed up and studied the notes then there is no reason not to sit the exam 6 months later (whether the assignments are finished or not) You will already know much of what the notes contain from having done your GG. there are things not included in the GG course but then the GG course contains things that the Gem-A course seems to skip over .

I think doing both courses would be a great idea. I'm sure they complement each other wonderfully.

Hope this helps

Be well

Frank


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 Post subject: ~~super; thank you~~
PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 4:52 pm 
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Thanks so much guys for answering all of my questions. That addressed everything that I was wondering about.

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:48 am 
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Hi - As someone who has just completed the Diploma Exam, via correspondance, I wanted to answer one of your questions.

If in your answer you just list, or recite, what is in the book, then you should pass providing you get most right. Examiners or rather the markers are looking for you to add from your own experience, or from other readings. just make sure that what you write is correct.

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 Post subject: 2009
PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:21 am 
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Location: Glasgow
hi there, well i've begun my foundation year in january and i've just received the report from my tutor of my last chapter. i've allowed mysedlf and average of two weeks for each chapter. it's hard but possible, i have a job, a toddler, husband and house all needing a piece of me! :) i will be sitting the exam nextjanuary and for that i'm taking the practical endorsement at the end of the month in London. i don't think you need two years for the foundation even though if you were attending classes it would spend around 8 months!
good luck for you all.

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PostPosted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:06 pm 
I took the Foundation exam in June - be ready to answer the same question repeatedly.

The amount of times the samey question where you had to write down all the diagnosis measurments/observations of 'material of colour x' made my hands bleed.

I reckon I wrote this a million times over the course of the two exams:

'As this is an optically anisotropic material, it will appear as light/dark 4 times during one rotation in a polariscope with crossed-polarisers..'

Was almost a relief to get a isotropic material, so you didnt have to write the same old things!

Know your 'Big 3' synthetic methods (flame, flux, hydro), diagrams (instruments, spectrums and brilliant cut) and your organics - plus all the usual measurements/observations mentioned above - polariscope, inclusions, RI, SG, spetroscope etc. and it should be fine.


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