GIA GG study plan

Build a one-page reference sheet mapping the 4Cs to the GIA diamond grading report sections, labeling each section by name

Label a blank 4Cs chart with the seven clarity grades and eleven color grades in correct order from memory with zero errors

Explain aloud in under two minutes how clarity grade, color grade, and cut grade each independently affect value

Practice loupe technique: demonstrate 10x magnification setup and describe the cleaning routine before every observation

Distinguish natural from laboratory-grown diamonds using the criteria a grader documents in a report, and list the disclosure language each requires

Describe how fluorescence, polish, and symmetry are recorded on a report and explain what each does and does not tell a buyer

Identify the parts of a rough diamond crystal and explain how crystal shape influences planning and cutting decisions

Compare a treated diamond and an untreated diamond scenario and state what must be disclosed in writing

Classify ten named colored stones into their species and variety groups and state each one's defining optical property

Explain the role of hue, tone, and saturation in colored stone grading and rank five sample descriptions from lightest to most saturated

Describe the common treatments for ruby, sapphire, and emerald and state how each treatment is disclosed

Explain how phenomenon stones (cat's eye, star) are graded differently from faceted transparent stones

Grade five colored stones described in text using the hue-tone-saturation framework and justify each grade in two sentences

Match diamond clarity and color grading vocabulary against colored stone grading vocabulary and list where the two systems diverge

Explain the origin and market significance of the major colored stone sources for ruby, sapphire, and emerald

Summarize the care-and-cleaning rules for diamond, corundum, beryl, pearl, and opal and state which are heat- or chemical-sensitive

Select and justify the standard instruments for gem identification and state what each one measures

Read a refractive index result and explain what it does and does not prove about a stone's identity

Describe the difference between singly and doubly refractive materials and how that distinction narrows an identification

Explain how spectroscopy and fluorescence observation contribute to separating natural from synthetic or treated material

Build a decision tree that narrows an unknown stone from a refractive index reading to a probable identity

Compare natural, cultured, and imitation pearls by formation method and state what each term means for disclosure

Explain the seven pearl value factors and rank five described pearl strands by overall quality with written justification

Describe the nacre, nucleus, and mantle relationship and explain how it drives pearl quality and durability

Identify the major pearl types by origin and describe the size, color, and shape ranges typical of each

Explain pearl treatments and imitations and state the disclosure required for each

Describe the properties and care requirements of the major jewelry metals and explain why metal choice affects durability and price

Explain how setting style and jewelry manufacturing method affect wear, repair, and value

Draft a sales conversation that matches a customer's stated need to a specific gem, metal, and setting recommendation without overstating value

Practice the disclosure and ethics rules that apply to selling diamonds, colored stones, and pearls and state the consequence of each omission

Explain how grading reports and appraisals differ and what each does and does not guarantee

Run three timed mixed-domain practice sets and log every missed item by domain

Re-teach the two weakest domains from memory in a written summary before checking notes