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Do you want to learn more about jewelry, diamonds and gemstones? At Colonial Jewelers, we're passionate about helping you make informed, confident decisions when purchasing these meaningful and lasting pieces. We invite you to visit our showroom in the heart of Downtown Frederick, Maryland, where our knowledgeable and highly trained sales team is always available to answer your questions. Until then, we welcome you to explore our educational guides below.
What makes us qualified to teach others about fine jewelry, Diamonds and gemstones? Colonial Jewelers is a fourth-generation family-owned jewelry store, and we currently have two generations of Graduate Gemologists working in-house.
From Madison College to the Gemological Institute of America in California, my journey made me Frederick County’s first Graduate Gemologist, a role I still cherish today.
With a GIA Graduate Gemologist degree, I hand-select diamonds and jewelry that sparkle with unmatched brilliance and lasting craftsmanship.
“I loved my time getting my Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America because I was able to learn the science and technical aspects of our industry from the leading source in education and Diamond/Gemstone grading.
My favorite part was going to New York- my favorite city- for my Lab courses. Getting to learn from the GIA in the heart of the Diamond district was an amazing experience for me when I was early into my career at Colonial Jewelers.
Today, I am able to use these credentials to pick the best Diamonds and jewelry for our customers. I understand what makes some Diamonds sparkle more than others and make sure that no matter what the color, clarity or size that we have the most beautiful Diamonds at Colonial Jewelers. I also make sure that the jewelry that we are buying is made with the highest quality materials and craftsmanship to last for generations to come.”
I didn’t know much about the Gemological Institute of America (the world’s foremost gemology school) when my parents, owners of Colonial Jewelers, enrolled me in the fall of 1977. I had just graduated that spring from James Madison University (then called Madison College), and before I knew it, Patty and I were driving west to California.
The trip itself was unforgettable: a beautiful, scenic ride that led us straight to Santa Monica, right on the coast by Los Angeles. My car allowed us the opportunity to sight see in beautiful southern California.
The Graduate Gemologist program entails three components; Diamonds, Colored Stones & Gem Identification. The eight hour days of learning were very intensive, requiring a tremendous amount of memorization.
The Gem Identification section was tackled after learning everything one would ever want to know about gemstones in the Colored Stone portion. The majority of this course was learning the equipment and the processes to determine the type and quality of precious gemstones.
My class consisted of about 20 students from all over the world: China, Japan, South Africa, Belgium and all over the United States. I made lifelong friends and connections with this group.
In addition to identifying and evaluating gemstones, I have the skill to hand pick the diamonds we sell at Colonial Jewelers, which is so important when selling beautiful, well-cut diamonds. Appraising jewelry would not be possible without the product knowledge I learned at the Gemological Institute of America.
Looking back, attending the Gemological Institute of America in California was an amazing experience. It shaped both my career and my life, and I’m proud to say it made me the very first Graduate Gemologist in Frederick County; a degree I still put to use every day.
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