A large trade in gem-grade diamonds exists. Unlike other commodities, such as most precious metals, there is a substantial mark-up in the retail sale of gem diamonds.There is a well-established market for resale of polished diamonds. One hallmark of the trade in gem-quality diamonds is its remarkable concentration: wholesale trade and diamond cutting is limited to just a few locations; in 2003, 92% of the world’s diamonds were cut and polished in Surat, India.
Other important centers of diamond cutting and trading are the Antwerp diamond district in Belgium, where the International Gemological Institute is based, London, the Diamond District in New York City, Tel Aviv, and Amsterdam. A single company – De Beers – controls a significant proportion of the trade in diamonds.
They are based in Johannesburg, South Africa and London, England. One contributory factor is the geological nature of diamond deposits: several large primary kimberlite-pipe mines each account for significant portions of market.
A gemstone or gem (also called a precious or semi-precious stone, a fine gem, or jewel) is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli), or organic materials that are not minerals (such as amber or jet), are also used for jewelry, and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well.
Most gemstones are hard, but some soft minerals are used in jewelry because of their luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another characteristic that lends value to a gemstone.
Apart from jewelry, from earliest antiquity until the 19th century engraved gems and hardstone carvings such as cups were major luxury art forms; the carvings of Carl Fabergé were the last significant works in this tradition.
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.
With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to look appealing, but humans have been producing and wearing it for a long time – with 100,000-year-old beads made from Nassarius shells thought to be the oldest known jewellery.
Jewellery may be made from a wide range of materials, but gemstones, precious metals, beads, and shells have been widely used. Depending on the culture and times jewellery may be appreciated as a status symbol, for its material properties, its patterns, or for meaningful symbols. Jewellery has been made to adorn nearly every body part, from hairpins to toe rings.
Set up at a prime location in heart of Surat, GJLI has modern classrooms, latest audio-visual teaching aids, a well furnished library and a live job database.
Tailored to suit the needs of diamond & jewelry Industry, we provide a wide variety of part time, distance learning and customized programs, ranging from basics to more advanced courses – such as those on diamond grading and jewelry design.
With a vast collection of diamonds and other rare gemstones available for live demonstrations, GJLI believes in providing hands-on high quality education.
Designed to maximize learning, we organize several industrial visits, lectures, seminars and workshops which are conducted by qualified industry experts and experienced professionals, many of whom are alumni of the GIA/IGI.
We also have a well furnished library, replete with the most comprehensive range of reference books, CD’s, manuals and magazines and a live database of relevant job openings in order to habilitate students into the industry.