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Gem Appreciation – Toronto – November 28, 2026
General Interest | Gem Appreciation | Toronto | November 28, 2026
This 5-hour course explores the nature of gemstones and their timeless allure, and investigates why it’s more important than ever to know a little before buying. Birthstones are generally the most highly recognized of the gems on the market today, and serve as our focus for exploring the variety of gem treasures available, many of them little known to the average consumer. A guided look, including hands-on work with the jewellers loupe and tweezers, helps fine-tune our eyes and opens up the wonderful world of gems.
Syllabus:
- the nature of gemstones
- mastering the jewellers loupe
- distinguishing between glass and natural gems
- nature, properties of common “birthstones”
- understanding measures of gem quality
- caring for gems
- pre-purchase considerations
- brief overview of gem identification instrumentation
Requirements:
- 10x triplet jewellers loupe (single magnifying lenses, doublets or
- instruments with a focal length of more than a few inches are inadequate)
- jewellers tweezers (cosmetic tweezers and stiff utility tweezers may not be used)
- students may bring their own instruments or purchase from the CGA