Sparkling training courses with Birmingham Assay Office

The Birmingham Assay Office has extended its core training and education programme to introduce two new one-day interactive courses in 2012. Both aim to give delegates commercially focused product knowledge which will increase their confidence and therefore their success rate in selling or assessing jewellery. Understanding Coloured Gemstones delivers technical information in an accessible way about the most important coloured stones that are used in jewellery including sapphires, rubies, emeralds and tanzanite.  Delegates will gain a good commercial understanding of these stones and the key selling points for each one. The Assay Office’s new Identifying Hallmarks and Important Gemstones course is targeted specifically at those retailers selling second hand jewellery who need a more in depth knowledge of older hallmarks and a good understanding of diamonds and coloured gemstones. Delegates will learn about the history of hallmarking, gain an insight into the assaying process and take part in a practical session looking at diamonds and coloured gemstones.