The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has reached an exclusive agreement with China’s National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC) to bring the Institute’s educational offerings to Beijing and other Chinese cities. The agreement is the first formalized cooperation contract between GIA and China’s NGTC.

The agreement calls for the NGTC to have exclusive rights to offer GIA’s courses in China, making China the eighth international country where GIA has a location.

Seung-Hae Moon, GIA director of global education, said China’s gem trade industry has been growing steadily since the early 1980s. Consequently, there has been a growing need for gemological education.

GIA currently offers its Graduate Diamonds diploma program in China and has graduated upwards of 75 students.

JCK