ONLINE

DIAMOND FOUNDATION COURSE

This extensive eLearning course allows participants to extend their knowledge well beyond the 4Cs,
drawing on insights from across the spectrum of the De Beers Group diamond pipeline.
During 24 hours’ worth of learning materials, students work their way through the diamond journey from
its formation billions of years ago in the depths of the Earth, to the sale of diamond jewellery in stores.
FEATURES
This course is designed for anyone working in the diamond
or wider jewellery industry. It will help students gain enhanced
expertise when discussing or selling these rare and precious
gifts of nature.
The programme is delivered via a bespoke website,
designed to provide a secure interactive learning experience.
The course is mobile friendly to allow students to study
wherever and whenever, they have internet connection.
The course is available in English, Simplified Chinese, French,
Italian, Korean, Turkish and Thai.
Students have the flexibility to complete the programme
at their own pace, over a 4-month period.
There is approximately 24 hours’ worth of study materials.
The course contains downloadable study notes which
students can retain for future use, to allow for continuous
professional development.
BENEFITS
On completion of this course participants will have a deeper
understanding of the full diamond pipeline and will be able to
effectively utilise this knowledge. This course will help you develop
skills which will be particularly useful in the following scenarios:
Consumer Facing Retail (online or store based), Jewellery Design
(foundation level), Jewellery Manufacturing (foundation), Staff
Onboarding & Training (within a diamond company environment),
Marketing & PR teams.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
None. Students can opt to top up their learning by attending
a separate 1-day Introduction to the 4Cs laboratory workshop,
to gain hands-on experience working with diamonds.
COURSE COMPLETION
4-month foundation course with a De Beers Group Institute
of Diamonds ‘Certificate of Achievement’ PDF awarded upon
successful completion.
ELEARNING MODULE DETAILS
DIAMOND GROWTH
& PROPERTIES
Discover how the youngest diamonds
were created over a billion years
ago, and 200 km within the Earth’s
surface. Learn of this fascinating
creation process, how it happened at
an atomic level, and why the resulting
properties are so extraordinary.
THE POLISHED 4CS
How do we grade polished
diamonds? The complex interaction
between each of the 4Cs make
diamonds the most highly treasured
among gemstones, and determine
their polished value. Learn about the
De Beers Group methodology for
polished diamond grading.
TRAVEL TO THE SURFACE
& EXPLORATION
Explore how diamonds, once formed,
left the depths of the Earth and
embarked on unimaginable journeys,
only to lie in wait for millions of years
to be discovered.
CUTTING & POLISHING
How do you turn a rough crystal into
a sparkling polished diamond?
Discover how the beauty that radiates
from within a diamond is conveyed,
thanks to the skills of master craftsmen.
DIAMOND MINING
& RECOVERY
How does diamond mining take place
in different areas of the world: dig
deep into the largest earth-moving
technologies employed, the different
types of mining and how diamonds
are extracted from their ores.
JEWELLERY DESIGN,
MARKETING & RETAIL
How is a piece of jewellery designed
and created, and how do we then
promote it? Explore the creative
process that leads to the design
and creation of jewellery, and
subsequently how branding and
communications collide to form the
marketing strategy. Take these notions
alongside everything else you have
learned on the course, and see how it
all comes together in the retail space.
ROUGH SORTING
& PRICING
DISCOVER HOW
THE YOUNGEST
How are diamonds of different
shapes, sizes and colours sorted
and valued? Gain an overview of
the sorting and valuations methods
used by De Beers Group and how
important these are to producing
countries and their communities.
DIAMONDS
SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS,
WERE CREATED
SIMULANTS & TREATMENTS
What is the difference between natural
diamonds, simulants, treated material
OVER A BILLION
YEARS AGO
and synthetic diamonds? This module
is all about the constant challenge
of their usage in an industry where
companies strive to showcase
the beauty and heritage of
natural diamonds.