Certified Diamond Specialist
Professional certification
Professional Certification · 11 days + 1 exam day · In person + written examination
An eleven-day professional certification, ten days of intensive instruction plus a written examination, that builds expert-level command of diamond science, the market, cutting, and the optics of light performance.
The Certified Diamond Expert programme is JTR Academy’s professional certification for those who want authority over every aspect of diamond science, beyond the ability to assign a grade. Delivered over ten days of intensive instruction and a written examination, it takes graduates of the basics into genuinely expert territory.
Part I, Diamond Information, lays the scientific and commercial foundation. You study the geological conditions that create diamonds, the kimberlite and lamproite pipes and alluvial deposits that shape supply, and the layered structure of the rough, primary and secondary markets. The programme then traces the transformation of rough into polished (planning, sawing, cleaving, bruting and polishing) and the physics of light interaction: reflection, refraction, critical angle and dispersion, the mechanisms behind a diamond’s brilliance and fire.
Throughout, every criterion follows IDC Rule Book standards and every example is validated against professional laboratory practice. The certification is designed for practising gemologists, senior jewellers, traders, laboratory graders and purchasing managers who need a credential that carries weight with suppliers and clients alike.
Overview
Where introductory courses establish familiarity with the 4 C’s, this programme demands a deeper understanding: the geological forces that create diamonds, the economic structures that govern their trade, the craft and science of cutting, and the optical physics that determine a diamond’s visual performance. Part I, Diamond Information, lays the scientific and commercial foundation on which expert grading depends.
Who it’s for
Practising gemologists, senior jewellers, diamond traders, laboratory graders, QA professionals and purchasing managers seeking formal expert-level certification, plus professionals moving into diamond-specialist roles.
Prerequisites
Basic familiarity with diamonds recommended. Candidates who have completed JTR’s Basic Diamond Course (The 4 C’s) or an equivalent will find the transition more comfortable.
What you’ll be able to do
- Explain the thermodynamic and geological conditions required for natural diamond formation
- Distinguish primary and secondary deposits and their implications for diamond characteristics
- Describe modern mining methods and the chain from extraction to rough sorting
- Analyse the global diamond market across rough, primary and secondary tiers
- Trace the historical development of the industry from early Indian sources to today
- Identify major cut styles and the evolution from point cut to modern brilliant
- Describe each stage of diamond manufacturing (planning, sawing, cleaving, bruting, polishing)
- Connect optical theory (reflection, refraction, critical angle, dispersion) to visual performance
Curriculum
1. Origin of Diamonds: Geology & Mining
- Geology & diamond formation
- Diamond source rocks
- Diamond mining
2. Diamond Market
- History of the industry
- Rough diamond market
- Primary & secondary markets
3. Polishing & Cutting of Diamonds
- History of diamond cuts
- Planning, sawing & cleaving
- Bruting & polishing
- The round brilliant cut
4. Diamond & Its Interaction with Light
- Introduction to light
- Transmission & reflection
- Refraction & critical angle
- Dispersion
This certification is delivered in parts; the current intake covers Part I, Diamond Information.
Upcoming classes
- İstanbul — 26 Oct – 14 Nov 2026 — JTR LAB ()
- İstanbul — 7–19 Dec 2026 — JTR LAB ()
- İstanbul — 31 Aug – 12 Sep 2026 — JTR LAB ()