Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has debuted its French rough diamond evaluation course in Côte d’Ivoire.
“This is an essential step for a country that is now working hard to re-establish and grow the industry following its recent integration into the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme,” said Brad Brooks-Rubin, GIA’s global director of development and beneficiation.
The course brings practical and relevant education to the gem-producing region. By working with Ivorian officials and others in the industry, GIA can directly support artisanal miners and the development of the diamond sector as a whole.
Held in Abidjan from Sept. 15 to 19, the course consisted of six government officials from the Ministry of Mines, Customs and Societe pour le Developpement Minier de la Côte d’Ivoire (SODEMI), as well as two representatives of artisanal mining co-operatives and one field staffer from the Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development II project of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The five-day course was taught by Ric Taylor, GIA’s manager of global instruction.
In related news, GIA also hosted the first-ever GIA Junior Gemologist Program workshop in a francophone African country on Sept. 18 in conjunction with the U.S. embassy in Abidjan. Eighteen students from the Lycee Blaise Pascal ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old discovered the world of gemmology through hands-on, practical training. The program was introduced in sub-Saharan Africa in 2012, and has taken place in Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa.
