Gem-A, the new short-and-sweet name for the Gemmological Association & Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain, has announced the establishment of a U.S. branch. Anne Dale of Mandeville, La., the first director, will help Gem-A develop its education and Guild programs here. "Gem-A USA will concentrate on actively promoting gemological education," says Dale. "Tutors are ready, and allied training centers will soon be ready here in the United States." Dale notes that Gem-A is moving forward with a new home-study gemology course. The new Gem-A Preliminary course—the first of two gemology courses—has been revised to be easier to use, says Dale. And exams, which in the past were the most feared of any gemological testing, no longer rely on memorizing numerical figures: The basic optical properties are provided during the exams. The courses are accompanied by two newly revised handbo