The Gemological Institute of America has provided a $25,000 grant to the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

The grant will allow 20 individuals, selected by the University, to enroll in the GIA’s Accredited Jewelry Professional intensive program. The three-course program will include lessons on polished diamond quality, colored stone identification, and jewelry selling techniques. GIA will provide the instructor, curriculum, and materials, including two gemological microscopes.

“We are thankful for GIA’s support to expand gemological knowledge in our community,” Norbert Opiyo Akech, professor at the University of Nairobi, said in a statement. “This is a beneficial collaboration that will equip our local residents with the knowledge to further understand gems and jewelry, which directly relates to and adds value to the mining industry in Kenya.”

JCK