IIDGR, NGTC To Extend Diamond Education Courses Offering In China

(IDEX Online) – The International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research (IIDGR), part of the De Beers Group, will partner with the National Gemstone Testing Centre (NGTC), China’s leading authority in the testing and inspection of gems and jewelry, to extend the accessibility of IIDGR’s diamond education courses to students in China.

The partnership will officially launch in early 2019 with students being able to undertake IIDGR’s education courses via a mix of online training, as well as laboratory-based workshops. Courses will be delivered by local tutors in the local language, in partnership with IIDGR’s diamond education experts.

Teaching subjects will include:

• Understanding the diamond pipeline from start to finish to allow participants to enhance sales presentations in a retail environment

• Lab courses to examine how to grade polished diamonds to a professional standard

• Synthetic diamond detection techniques so that students can effectively identify synthetic stones

IIDGR President Jonathan Kendall said: “We are delighted to be partnering with NGTC, which has a long and highly respected track record as a leader in China’s diamond industry, to make our proprietary education courses more accessible to students in one of the world’s most important diamond markets.

“The introduction of IIDGR’s education service offering last year was met with great excitement from the diamond industry, and our passion to drive continuous professional development across all levels of experience and types of job roles and ability that people in the industry may occupy is deeply grounded in over 130 years of De Beers Group diamond expertise.”

Jodine Perrin, Director of Education, IIDGR, said: “There are growing demands from consumers to understand much more about the world of diamonds than ever before, so those working within the industry must be able to demonstrate their expertise in a confident and clear manner. Our education courses are focused on the science, history and beauty held within diamonds and our approach to learning ensures a modern and innovative experience, designed to promote confidence in all our students, whatever their role within the industry.”

Sun Fengmin, Vice Director of National Gems & Jewelry Technology Administrative Center, said: “As the most authoritative comprehensive management institution in China's jewelry industry, NGTC has taken the lead in formulating the National Standard for Diamond Classification, which has played an important role in the regulation and rapid development of the Chinese diamond market. As the most well-known diamond company in the world, De Beers Group has played an important role in the promotion of diamond mining, diamond trade and diamond culture around the world, including in China.

“China is the second largest consumer market for global diamond jewelry demand and given the market’s huge growth potential, we look forward to partnering with De Beers Group to support our mutual goals in ensuring that those working in China’s diamond industry have access to IIDGR’s industry-recognized education courses. We believe that the partnership will create a bright future based on shared trust, sincere cooperation and mutual benefit.”

The IIDGR’s mission is to promote consumer confidence across the diamond pipeline through a variety of services, from equipment sales and grading services to melee and jewelry testing. The education services business launched last year complements the organization's growing list of services.