SurveysApr 24, 2026
Mother’s Day 2026 Jewelry Spending to Top $7B, NRF SaysNRF’s annual survey found that 45 percent of consumers plan to purchase jewelry for a loved one this Mother’s Day.
GradingOct 02, 2019
Gemewizard Now Offers Online Education
The Gem Color Academy has kicked off with a colored stone grading course.
A screenshot from Gem Color Academy’s inaugural Colored Stones Grading Course
Ramat Gan, Israel—Gemewizard, which provides digital solutions for the analysis, description, pricing and trading of color in gemstones and colored diamonds, has launched a new educational arm.
The Gem Color Academy will provide professional-level knowledge and experience for the gem and jewelry industry.
Guy Borenstein, vice president and chief academic officer, said the company wanted to offer courses that gives the students “the extra mile they lack and almost always need in order to properly (and successfully) play in the real trade,” complimenting other gemological education by providing “added value in order to understand the market language and its know-how secrets.”
To launch, the academy has introduced a distance education course dedicated to colored gemstone grading.
Drawing from the company’s founders’ more than 40 years of gemological experience, the online course provides students with an in-depth understanding about the grading, evaluation and pricing of gems.
The Colored Stones Grading Course ($1,000) examines issues related to color, clarity, cut, geographical origin, treatments, optical phenomena and other attributes that define their quality and determine their value.
It focuses on the gemstones most commonly handled in the trade gem, including ruby, emerald, sapphire, aquamarine, alexandrite, garnet, spinel, tanzanite and tourmaline.
Students will be able to access hundreds of gem images and numerous educational videos online and participate in more than 100 interactive exercises in sorting, grading and pricing of gems, using digital master rulers.
The course also puts a strong emphasis on hands-on practice. Gemewizard will provide students with a mailed kit comprising 25 gem samples accurately depicting the most important shades in the colored gemstone range and a comprehensive set of Colored Stones Grading course notes.
Students are assigned to a specific class with its own teacher—experienced gemologists and educators—who assist them for the entire duration of the course, answering questions, checking assignments and examinations, and monitoring progress.
They also can communicate with colleagues in the class to swap insights, experience and knowledge.
“The goal we set ourselves in developing the course was that it should bridge the gap between theoretical gemology and commercial reality, where sometimes subtle variances in gem properties translate into substantial differences in value,” said Menahem Sevdermish, president of Gemewizard and a founder of the Gem Color Academy.
“Professionals need to understand how color is derived and how it should be measured and defined in a wide variety of gemstones, and how that, together
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
with other properties, impacts real-time value in the marketplace. Graduates of the academy will be provided with a knowledge base that is widely sought after in our industry.”
Students will receive a one-year subscription to the full suite of Gemewizard products, including GemePrice, an online pricing system and price list for gemstones and diamonds.
A Colored Diamonds Grading Course will launch next month. The Gem Color Academy will announce other new courses soon.
Borenstein told National Jeweler the Gem Color Academy is also in the process of signing agreements with colleges around the world to offer these courses in an on-site class format and in other languages, such as Spanish and French.
The first agreement with a college in South Africa will be announced soon. Other colleges in the U.S., Europe and Asia are in the agreement finalization step and will be announced in the following weeks.
For more information or to enroll, visit GemColorAcademy.com.
More on Grading
The Latest
TechnologyApr 24, 2026
TwentyFour’s Digital-Age Locket Is a Virtual VaultThe “Vault” charm, our Piece of the Week, expands on the memories that can be stored in a locket by connecting to your phone.
Events & AwardsApr 24, 2026
Hamptons Jewelry Show to Return in JulyThe open-to-the-public luxury jewelry and timepiece show, in its second year, is slated for July 23-26.
Brought to you by
Discover Timeless Treasures: A Showcase of Antique Jewelry & Timepieces in Las VegasGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Meet the Real Moms of Day’s JewelersThe jeweler’s Mother’s Day campaign highlights the women who work there—mothers, grandmothers, women who want to be mothers, and dog moms.
Weekly QuizApr 23, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Supplier BulletinApr 23, 2026
JM® Shipping Solution: Smarter Shipping for High-Value GoodsSponsored by Jewelers Mutual
Lab-GrownApr 23, 2026
Charles & Colvard May Sell Assets for $1.5MThe proposed agreement follows the moissanite maker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last month.
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
AuctionsApr 23, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Fetches $1MThe Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece Astor brought aboard the ill-fated ship sold for double its estimate at a Freeman’s auction.
CollectionsApr 23, 2026
Adam Neeley’s High Jewelry Collection Steps Into Salvador Dalí’s GardenThe “Dalí’s Garden” collection was inspired by a surreal dream Neeley had after cooking a recipe from Salvador Dalí’s 1973 cookbook.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Windsor Jewelers Names New Buying DirectorNatalie Feanny has been appointed to the role.
CrimeApr 22, 2026
New Mexico Couple Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Native American JewelryThe pair falsely claimed their jewelry was made by Navajo artists, but it was imported from Vietnam.
AuctionsApr 22, 2026
Roberta Flack’s Jewelry Is Going Up for AuctionJulien’s Auctions is selling the musician’s fine and fashion jewelry alongside her clothing, gold records, and other memorabilia.
CollectionsApr 22, 2026
British Museum Curator Pens Book on ‘The Tudor Heart’Rachel King’s book dives into the history of the pendant believed to have belonged to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
Events & AwardsApr 22, 2026
Here’s What Sy Kessler Has on Tap for Las Vegas The company will have deals on precious metals testers as well as the latest in lab-grown diamond detection technology and security.
WatchesApr 21, 2026
Coco Chanel Enters the Game with New Watch CollectionGabrielle “Coco” Chanel is a character in the “Coco Game” collection of watches and the queen in its first haute horlogerie chessboard.
IndependentsApr 21, 2026
Meet Jewelers of America’s 2026 ‘20 Under 40’ ClassThe annual list honors rising professionals on the retail and supply sides of the jewelry industry.
CrimeApr 21, 2026
Customs Nabs 1,500 Pieces of Counterfeit Jewelry Bound for NYCSeized in Kentucky, the packages include fake Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Chanel, and Fendi jewelry.
CrimeApr 20, 2026
Queens Man Convicted in Bludgeoning Death of Pawn Shop OwnerRodolfo Lopez-Portillo faces 25 years to life in prison after being found guilty in the March 2022 beating death of Arasb Shoughi.
TrendsApr 20, 2026
Beth Bernstein, Sonia Esther Soltani Pen New Jewelry Book“Jewelry Creators: Dynamic Duos and Generational Gems” highlights the relationships among 22 influential designers, brands, and gem dealers.
Events & AwardsApr 20, 2026
Atlanta Jewelry Show’s Spring Event Is Hitting the RoadThe AJS Spring 2027 show will be held in Savannah, Georgia, with future shows taking place in other Southeast cities.
MajorsApr 20, 2026
Kendra Scott Names New CFO, Chief Business OfficerThe jewelry retailer plans to open 20 new stores this year and expand into new product categories.
TrendsApr 17, 2026
New (Groundbreaking) Floral Jewelry for Spring 2026Flower motifs are the jewelry trend blooming amongst the new collections that debuted this spring.
MajorsApr 17, 2026
QVC Group Files for Chapter 11 BankruptcyThe retailer reported an 8 percent decline in annual sales as it struggles under the weight of billions of dollars of debt.
CollectionsApr 17, 2026
Edina Kiss’ Earrings Are the Devil on Your ShoulderThe “Devil” drop earrings, our Piece of the Week, are part of designer Edina Kiss’ new namesake jewelry line that she will show at Couture.
CrimeApr 17, 2026
FBI Issues Warning to Refineries, Retailers Due to High Price of GoldThe alert states that burglary crews are targeting jewelry businesses and details how jewelers and refineries can protect themselves.
WatchesApr 16, 2026
Cartier Brings Back the RoadsterThe “watchmaker of shapes” debuted the reworked version of the vintage sports car-inspired timepiece at Watches & Wonders.
