Gone are those days when one had very limited scope of studies and choosing career. In the present day there are loads of options to choose from and one can pick up any career of their wish and pursue studies on the same. One such field of study is gemology.

Gemology is a field in science where one gets the chance to study, identify and evaluate gemstones. This is a wonderful option for all those people who are interested in gemstones and want to pursue a career in the same. Many a times it is considered to be a branch of mineralogy which comes under Geosciences. Any one pursing courses in gemology is taught how to identify and classify the gemstones and also look for any damage that the stones have undergone.

Jewellery plays a very significant role in our lives that is why the study of gems or gemstones is a very good field to pursue a career in.

The importance of gems and jewellery made from them has always been existent from the time when kings were present, till date. Gems have been used for ages to show how rich, powerful or wealthy some people are. Some even consider that gems have magical powers in them. They are surely one of the smallest substances on earth that have so much value added to them.

The current generation provides with a very market opportunity for gemologists. The simple enough reason being there is a demand for all kinds of gem stones and ornaments. While there are many who are moving from traditional ornaments to the modern and contemporary ornaments. There is still a large section that is moving from the current trends and going back in time to traditional ornaments for their sheer class. Thus anyone having even the slightest interest in gems can consider it as a good career option.

Though it is not a mandatory skill, but having a good command over English just adds up. The reason is that it comes in very handy while interacting with clients and some of the best books on gemology are in English.

The courses mostly cater to market needs such as identification, metallurgical process, computer aided design, designing and making of ornaments, fashion elements, methods of designing and many more. It also provides options to specialize in fields such as engraver, gem polishing, researcher, scientist, etc. A sense of designing and quality appreciation would enhance your skills as a gemologist. Few other skills that one has to inculcate overtime are patience, great observations skills, responsibility, they will to initiate things. If one already has all these skills, he can concentrate more on the core gemology skills.

If you happen to be in India, there is some good news for you. Indians have got high regards and respect the field of gemology all over the world. Recently the liberalization policy introduced by the government ensures a world of opportunities for people interested in gemology.

The reason that makes gemology a good career option is that it provides you the option to either work independently or even for some organizations. There is a huge demand for precious stones jewelry which means more gemologists are required for the same. With this the job openings for gemologists have increased several folds over the past few years.

The presence of some very good colleges means that the interested candidates have lot more options to choose from. Some of the better colleges for gemology include Gemology Institute of America, The Gemmological association of Great Britain, Birmingham City University etc. These colleges not only do provide with the best education possible in Gemology but also have state of the art infrastructure for the students so that they can grasp as much of knowledge possible on gemology. Colleges such as the one mentioned above and International School of Gemology and Gemmological Institute of India provide the candidates with highly experienced faculties and lots of practical classes so that they have theoretical and practical knowledge.

Other prominent worldwide schools and colleges that offer gemology courses are:

– The Gemology College for Diamonds, Gemstones and Jewelry
– EGL and College of Gemology, South Africa
– Diamond Education College, South Africa
– Gemmological Association of Australia, Australia
– University of South Florida, USA
– China University of Geosciences
– Kingston University London, UK
– Canadian Gemmological Association
– Canadian Institute of Gemmology

There are quite a few gemologists who do not indulge in full time gemology activities. Thus if you are looking for an additional source of income, getting yourself enrolled for a gemology course might indeed be a great idea.

There are no doubts that automation is making its way into the industry, but the need of highly skilled and creative professionals can never be taken over by the automated machines. So if you are passionate about gems, then gemology can be a very good career option.