i've got one more that you might want to check out. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rrd_dbB5xNuudZs.html

Glad you found your calling and that you've been loving it ever since~ Cheers

Well done, cheers

Thanks~! That's fuel in the motivational tank right there :D

Thanks very much ~ im glad you enjoyed it.

Fortunately, that's an easy one. As long as you're referring to cubic zirconia(CZ) (not to be confused with the mineral zircon, which is very different despite the similar name). The properties of Sapphire and CZ are very different and can be distinguished with a Polariscope. Sapphires are doubly refractive (DR) and CZ are singly refractive (SR). When you use the polariscope properly, (I have a tutorial on my channel) sapphires will blink and CZ will not. If you were actually talking about the mineral zircon, the polariscope will not help. A spectroscope will be very useful for distinguishing blue zircon and blue sapphire. Cheers Natalia~

@@GemologyforSchmucks I was talking about cubic zirconia. Thank You for Your answer. :-)

Thank you ~ and the little folk ought not be forgotten! ^_^

Hi ~ the short version is: there are many active traders that have no gemological diploma. You can start trading whenever you want. Studying gemology is a skillset that allows you to identify and observe gemstones scientifically, which is something many traders lack. They may however have a strong understanding of the qualities of the specific gemstone(s) that they trade in, and the price history of these goods, which is something a gemological diploma will not teach you. So, all of that said, I fully encourage the study of gemology because it lays a foundation for life-long understanding as the gemstone trade gets more complex, but I also insist that the study of gemology and the trade of gemstones are quite separate, and require different observations.

Check out lucywalkerjewellery.com/ This is the mastermind who can take you from zero to greatness if you've got gumption~

Hi John, thanks for sharing your perspective, and you make some great points. You have asked that I inform my viewers that the term fake implies deception. At 00:23 I state that the most common use/ understanding of the word fake is for something that pretends to be something that it is not. Help me understand how this deviates from your desired message? Overall, I agree with you that the term "fake" is not an efficient one and doesn't really have a place in the gem market. That is also why I spend the better part of ten minutes in this video unpacking other more efficient words like simulant and synthetic. Hopefully this and my other videos will encourage folks to abandon "fake" and grow in their understanding of what they are buying and collecting etc. Cheers

Glad the videos are of service to you, Nancy

Open and honest communication is definitely the first place to begin.

Great question Michael - A start is definitely to watch the other videos on this channel. They're made with aspiring gemologists in mind (aka its all the stuff I wish i could tell myself before I got into the gem trade XD ) Ask yourself if you're interested more in the trade and business of gems or the research and exploration side. If you're interested in trade, then you can take something like the Applied Jewelry Professional courses from GIA. They're 3 online courses that include the essentials (which are i believe available for free during the COVID-19 lockdown timeframe, so check that out) and it'll give you a good foundation and some direction to let you know if you want to invest in one of the full gemologist programs. Eventually i'll do some comparison videos, but the 3 major schools are AIGS (thailand) GIA (US and worldwide) and the FGA (US and worldwide). GIA as a brand is the most recognizable, and FGA is the oldest and most scientific/ research oriented. AIGS is best done on campus, and i'd recommend it for anyone who wants more trade-applicable education like distinguishing treatments and synthetics etc. Start by watching some of my other videos - it'll help you know if you want something academic or not.

Gemology for Schmucks, thanks so much for the informative response. I’m going to check out those courses you spoke about and watch your videos to see if this is for me. Thank you again!

@@michaelsanchez8519 most definitely. I'll say that stones are for everyone, the only question is in what capacity 😂. There are lots of people that sell only one type of stone, and so they only need the knowledge that relates to that one type of stone. Find what works for you ^_^ and see you around.

Look into the programs offered by The Gemological Institute of America.

My pleasure, Jamie.

Litigation is indeed a favourite pass-time in the United States. Fortunately, most major players in the gem trade agree that treatments need to be disclosed, and that honesty is the best policy. Thanks for the comment Um5.

Fantastic word eh? Cheers and enjoy.

What a delightful surprise~!

Hi Drew~ thanks for engaging. To my understanding, when you create a sour-dough starter (or mother, or levain), you create an environment for wild yeast and bacteria (some of which is present in the flour already) to reproduce. If you successfully establish a sourdough starter, you've invited a colony of wild yeast, and that yeast does the job that commercially bought yeast would normally do. They have different characteristics, and naturally the flavors of the two types of bread are also. If I'm mistaken on this info, I'm happy to be corrected. I just really like food, trivia and gemstones.

Im here now~

And I Thank you 😊

:D This is how I live my life. If you find your own jokes funny, it's easier to get out of bed each day eh? hahah ~ Thanks for the comment.

Thanks for participating in the conversation. The key difference is that the growing conditions in the earth lead to trace element differences and variations that we wouldn't typically find in earth mined stones. Once you have seen enough of these stones in person I expect that you'll agree with not only me, but the research labs such as the GIA that publish extensively on this topic. I would recommend that you dive deeper into their source material before you label the summary in this short video as "spreading misinfo".

I spent quite a few years among that people and I worked quite hard to learn that tongue. It’s super satisfying though, because the more you learn about a language and its people, the bigger the world gets for you. Mandarin and the Chinese family of languages has helped massively with learning several other languages. I am immensely grateful to have had those opportunities.

@@GemologyforSchmucks Yes, true, and Chinese love gold, diamond and gems.

Dudeeee 😅