Gem-A studies

Gemmology

As I began working more with natural gemstones, I realised that choosing them required more than simply having an eye for colour and form.

I needed to be competent in selecting stones: to understand what I was buying, where it had come from, whether it had received any enhancing treatments and whether the price reflected its value. I also needed to understand durability because a not every gemstone is suitable for every design or for the way someone intends to wear it.

Rather than relying solely on suppliers’ descriptions, I wanted to build a foundation of skills to examine gemstones myself so I could make informed decisions before sourcing. That led me to study with Gem-A, the Gemmological Association of Great Britain.

What started as a practical decision has opened up an extraordinary world. What we see as a beautiful colour or an unusual pattern is the visible result of something that may have formed deep within the earth over millions of years. Heat, pressure, minerals and tiny changes in chemical composition all leaving their mark. Every one is unique. Just like each of us.

Appraisal

I sit

In peaceful

Contemplation.

Formed

By nature

And circumstance.

I wait

For you

To see me.

To acknowledge

My every

Inclusion.

Each ‘defect’

Part

Of my story.

I hope

Someday

You’ll know me