India has opened a new school that will train students for careers in the jewelry industry.

The Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ) in Mumbai will offer certificates and advanced degrees in the jewelry manufacturing.

The India Institute will conduct basic and advanced courses in jewelry manufacturing, refining, casting, setting, model making, and rubber cutting. The course content and structure is based on international norms and the day-to-day training will be conducted under the direct guidance of the faculty from India’s Center for International Migration and Development in collaboration with the Indo-German Export Promotion Project (IGEP), under a scheme operated by the German government.

“The Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery is one of a kind in the country and has been set-up to encourage the youth of today to consider a serious career path in the gems and jewelry industry,” said Sanjay Kothari, chairman of the India Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) said during a recently held inauguration ceremony. The organization is largely responsible for the institute being created.

The Institute contains a state-of-the-art gemological laboratory, CAD/CAM facilities, a comprehensive library, and modern audio-visual facilities, said Tanvirkumar Chokshi, IIGJ chairman. For the gemology and diamond grading courses, it has a variety of precious and semi-precious stones and sets of certified diamonds in all grades. Future courses will include jewelry management and marketing, and pearl grading.

The institute “is supported by the industry and offers practical advantages like factory visits, field interactions and internship in jewelry factories making it a unique learning experience,” Chokshi said.

JCK