Post subject: GIA Diamond Graders-No experience needed!
Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:21 pm
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type
Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:07 pm Posts: 1
I thought this was a joke at first but it is not. Why not just create a computer to randomly generate diamond grades? And some wonder why that GIA SI2 costs much less than some other SI2's. See everyone at the GIA/EGL/IGI picnic this year!
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:39 pm Posts: 3528 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Well, they give an intensive 3-6 month training course and it's not as if these "rookies" are making final decisions without further oversight. Maybe I don't get what the big deal is... if everyone required prior experience, where would anyone get it?
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
I know people who have worked as diamond graders.
They claim to have learned 100x more from taking the GIA's training courses for grading than they did in the GIA courses!
which begs the question; if the training is so good then why isn't it part of the course material as well? Or is it? I don't think the graders get paid as much as the GIA tells graduates that they can expect to make. Perhaps the pay is partly in "prestige". I was always surprised that the GIA doesn't require their own courses as a prerequisite for employment. My roommate at the GIA worked in the grading lab, back in the 80's, but not for long.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
I think the graders get a "hand-on" intensive to philosophy and techniques used within the GIA's lab environment.
Top equipment.
Top environment.
Learning a very calculated and methodical routine that would be hard to duplicate in the general world.
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:37 pm Posts: 60 Location: Las Vegas
Well I am sure glad labs hire people with no experience or I would not have a job. I am in my second week with a lab and the only solid experience I had was Colored stones and diamond essentials.
Post subject: Re: GIA Diamond Graders-No experience needed!
Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 5:42 am
Established Member
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 8:01 pm Posts: 16 Location: Houston, TX
[quote="Gandalf the Gemologist"]I thought this was a joke at first but it is not. Why not just create a computer to randomly generate diamond grades? And some wonder why that GIA SI2 costs much less than some other SI2's. See everyone at the GIA/EGL/IGI picnic this year!
Just a little curious as to where your finding a "GIA SI2" that costs much less than "some other SI2's" and are there any left?
I have bought many diamonds from many different sources, I have yet to hear someone say "I'll sell you this 'equal quality' stn. for 10% less, but it has a GIA cert" It's usually the exact opposite!
Please let me know if I'm mistaken in the assumption that GIA is more stringent on their grading standards than most if not all other gem labs.
Thanks,
Rod
_________________ Changing the perception of the pawn industry one customer at a time!
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am Posts: 6461 Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
When I went through the hiring process (wasn't hired, but turned out for the better ) it was explained to us that the "rookie", having gone through the intense 3-6 months of diamond grading courses, is the first to clarity grade a diamond. It then goes to someone with a few years of experience; then on to someone with even more years of experience. If there is a disagreement as to the grade, it goes on even further.
They do have a good deal of turn-over of diamond graders ... seems the working environment -- low lighting, sitting for hours, staring in a microscope -- gets to people after a while.
_________________ IIJA Registered Gemologist GIA Graduate Gemologist
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:03 pm Posts: 341 Location: San Diego
While taking my GG course at the Carlsbad location, the inevitable question about working in the lab came up in a class discussion. However, once the salary was disclosed I do not think it ever came up again... I do not even know how someone could live in Southern California for the salary provided by GIA.
My first job in retail jewelry sales after attending GIA paid roughly double the amount graders start out. This was with zero prior experience as well. I am not surprised at the turn-over, I think that many people go just for the initial training.
_________________ Paul Mattlin Senior Manager, Online Education Division
* My posts are my own and do not reflect the opinions or policies of my employer
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
I have pointed out before, that if one checks GIA's job listings, if is rather sad that many of the employers advertising are offering salaries below a living wage is in the area of their business.
Joined: Thu May 18, 2006 5:08 am Posts: 481 Location: Kuala Lumpur
I agree Barbra, as someone who is on the lookout right now, I don't know why the GIA even bother listing some of these positions. Its very disheartening. Right now there are so many "internships" some for companies that are one man bands making wire wrapped jewelry!!! or companies that want a GIA grad sales person in NYC for $10 an hour. I really wanted to apply for the GIA diamond grading position, but once I figured out travel costs to the city and other expenses, it just wouldn't work.
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