Appraising jewellery and gemstones

- Use a loupe to identify hallmarks and assess jewellery and gems
- Understand the basic construction of old and new jewellery and the common precious metals
- Understand what a hallmark is and be able to recognise/read them
- Have a basic knowledge of the common gemstones and an awareness of treatments, synthetics and imitations
- Understand the important antique periods of jewellery, their common features, and how to spot reproductions
- Grasp the basics of assessing jewellery plus the common pitfalls and problems when buying.

There are no other costs or anything you need to bring. There will be gemstones and books on sale should you wish to take your interest further.

The course will take the form of a talk with practical exercises plus question and answer sessions. There will be many examples of jewellery and gems that will be shown around the class plus projected images. There will be time for students to show their own jewellery to the tutor who will identify it and appraise it. There is no work outside the class.