DOCONEVI RESUME ED179 711 Ci 022 974 AUTHOR Paddock, Orlando: Heuserk Malcolm TITLE Pilot Proiect in VocatiOfila Gemology. AResearch' Study. INSTITUTION Par.is Junior Coll", Tex. Texas Education Agency, Austin. 11 SPONS AGENCY PUB DATE Aug 79. NOTE 116p: EDRS PRICE MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. % DESCRIPTORS tonferencrn *CUrriculum Development: *Curriculum , Guides:*Educational Progruws: Laboratory Technology: Lesson Plans: Manuals: Media Selection:*Pilot Projects: Program Descriptions:Iredning' Laboratories IDENTIFIERS *Gem Cutting ABSTRACT ` In respfonse to the need forqualified geiologists and the serious gap in gemological training, astall was direpted and designed to deve,lop aninstiuctional program whiCh couleise used nationally and to establish a vocationalgemology program at Paris Junior.College. Following the selection ofapprCpriate instructioAal materials, stations were equipped with'the necessarylaboratory inttrumehts for gemology research. Originallydesigned as ,a thirteen-week course, the program -grew tofitteen weeks. Beginning with an orientation to equipment and textbookassignments, succeedidg' units included the study'of light and thestudy of species alla varieties of gem materials, including afifty-hour unit on diamonds. Student progzesswas evalilated several timesduring the course, and bi-monthly conferences were held with each st.udent. Thefinal examinatidon included an oral presentationawritten exam on general gemck1ogy and diatonds, and gem identification andgrading. Results . indicated the achievement cf cblectives throughhecompletion of in i:Istructional manual, incorporating objectivesinto the curriculum, 'and tte'usetof project resulte is a 'guide for.develoring similar programs.(Appended are excerpts from the instruct3:. .1 manual, an equipment price list and student co-tract. lessonplu.ns, a training program outline, a'gemstonechart, an ifitervieW,report, and an evaluation form.) (FP) V of. ***********************************************************************, Reproductions supplied by nts are the best that canbe made frcm the original document. ***********************************************************************\I 1 ' U. ft. 1 4. PkLOT PROJECT. VOCATIONAL GEMOLOGY 'A Research Study Conducted Under Contract .04a 101' to the Texas Education Agency a. C. Mr. Orlando Paddo9k Project Director Mr. Malcolm,Heuser 110 Instructor% U S. DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH, t. EDUCATION A IN2LFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM Paris Junior% College THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS Paris, Texas STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE- SENT OFFICIAL NAT IDNAL INSTITUTE OF August ; 1979 EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY L./ 4 TABLE OFCONTENT'S - .. Summarjf of the Problem 1 f 4 , .-.--,- . 4 lif 'er- I't:.., -, \ Project Objectives I ' 2 :. .a Procedur6s" ,4 03 Problems Encountered +1' Specific Results .. to .17 Specific Utilization of Result . 4. ..21 Appendices 25 Appeclix A.-, . ' Excerrits from Instructional Manal \ 3, , Appendix B .' - . Equipment Pnice List and StudentCOntra'ct Appendix C Lesson Plans ,Appendix D Training Program Outline Appendix E Gemstone Chart Appendi.X4F Training Progress Interview Report Appendix G Instructional Evaluation forms Appendix' H 4 Newspaper and Magazine Clippings 44 .1, r SUMMARY bF THE PROBLEM. a 4 5. When Paris Junior College 'applied for, and 'received monies to initiate a research project in. gemology, a .serious gap in -gem- ) I. ology training had been ident#tad bythe..jew elry industry.Esti- mates were that less than 5,000(...of the 47 000 independertjewelers in' America possessed skill in gem iderltifice.tion.and fewer still S. had-received Scientific andIheoreacal information necessary for a Working'knoviledge of gemology.Although .2,5p0. gernologists. were,reqUired each year to meet industy demailder onlyappirox- imately 340 were. available for employment.The. only source for certification existing ,in America was the expensive proprietary Gernological Institute of America in Los Angeles, Califórnia, where atwo- to three-year watt Was nebessahy before _admittance. Additionally, GIA trainihd was directed toward the scientific, rather than retail business,:application, and training in-polished professional salesmanship was missing. Another facet of the problem wait the increasing burden placed *V* oil the modern jeweler to protect his'enterprise abd his clientele from the consequences of Inaccurate evaluatioh of gem quality withthe ;gise in popularitY of the colohed gemstone-trYbontemporary jewelry and the improvement of synthetic stones.Eighty to ninety percent , ,,.,.. ... , . I. ' I ., . .1 IC ' of the retail jewelers lacked, sufficient 'knowledge about their 4 products and were facedwith the posaibility of damagina pUblicity ..4 from lawskotté, or very costly mistekes for even apparently smati . errors.As documented by the Prevalent- use of such "salett ( words as "disoount," "wholesale;' and "investment" hi advartistng and promotiOn of sale of gemstdnes; most jewelers hid littleprod- uct awareness. about precious gemss- Givin these pai'ameters,a local advisory committal composed ofne+sentativesfrom the jewelry industry recomMended that 'Paris Junior College consi'der adding' a course in gemologyto its already' established jewelry tectinology, sequerice.'After coisul-' tation with state and national.industry leaderss, iFis institution, applied to the Texas EducatiOn Agency for assistance in conducting a pilot resoar:ch project which would not only supply a course mddel whibh other vocational. training institutions could .emulate for upgrading and skill deveiopment but also' supplya needed service for the jewelry industry., PROJECT OBJECTIVES Objectives set were two-fold: the development ofan in9truc- tional program which proffered a practical, business-prientedcur- riculurn (te,.,:hing a higelly technical skill' which is 'basedon scien- . tific and. theoretical knowledge) which could be used'nationally 2 o. 0 .6k /1.0' . for vocational education ingemology; rinds the establishment of 0 a vocational. program.in gemology.at Parts Junior dollege tq . \ CI help in Meeting the current. crisis,faced by the independent jewelry: " indpstry inthe:lack:Of trained -gemologists. " Sbecific objectives in the development of the instructional , .progretwere asfollOws: 1.. Development pf Triaterials, neceSsaryfor_ effective instruc7. tion of gemology studentsos 1) 2.Provision of a. program_ which would prepprekudents . to a.identify gemstones properly; b.learn techniques of grading for quality andappraising gemstones; 4 , c.detect imitation .and synthetic,materials; gs d.use and care fOr thelaboratory'instruments, necessary - a the testing arm identificationof gemstones; .1 4- e.become skilled in gemstonemerchandising, through study of the formation,''recovery., and cuttilg of precious gams; with attendant attenticn to thefolk- ! lore,fraditions,and symbolism 8f suCh stones;. f.trade eth.icaiy and,accurately in prectous' stones - , . I inclUding. also showing merchandise effectively and N .1 using proper security measures; 3 6 , . g.land exercitie proper cire, during bench.work--t.hrough: . a working kno:wledgeof gemstoneIteaction to acid, fracture; abrasioh; and.oleaAge..(See attach-4 ment in Appendix E.) . t 3.Compilation ,of data from the project whichwould be., beneficial. to other public institutions who were interested , in initiating a similar-program.... In establishing a vocational. program toprovide, a serivicefor the jewelry ,industry, Paris'Junior College sought' to 1.AUpply training- of a highly technioal skill that is,inherently necessary in eivery facet-of .theindePendent jewelry in- . dustry and which can not now be met throughexisting certification institutions; « I. 2.fUrnish gemologists who will require only a minimum g amount of ei,.-the-Ibb training befctre becomingactive in the industry; 3.and afford gemology upgradihg for.,,those in the jewelry 'industry. PiROCEDURES A nationally-recognized authc-ity in Omology, Mr.Oriatido Paddock, was*employed to direct and designthe study.Mr. 4. 4 '46 4 Paddock, a lotig-time member of the /American Gem Society as a Certified Gemologist,and a widelj-read auttfor of bath textbooks ,and monographs concerningthe erecious gam, had served as a visiting lecturer to the program.forfiVe years previously as. ;well as having attended the GemologicalInstitute of America. In the design phase of.the re:searchhevvor'ked closely with industry iources toincli.idesubject areas ,and 'skill development . activities in which employer:sperceived prospective employees should participate in oriierto properlygrade and appraise Oemstones., VVhen need was identified, Mr. Malcolm Hauser,who is' a. 1 -graduate in residence of thct. Gernological Instituteof America and was previously proprietorOf the Central Gernological Labora-. tory, was added to assist with programinstruction and development. Careful consideration wasexercised lin 'selection of instruc- . tional material .1.iat would stimulatest9,d'entlsuccess.Two texts, 9 Gemformation: A Primer ofPrecious Gems by *Mr. Peddock aid Handbdok of Gem Identification1:Y 1=2ichard Liddicoat,.served vs baste, primary reference volurries.Mr.,Paddock's book servea as anintroductionlo the subject,' with each major division ,treated ;in simple form/ to be easily understood.' This textintrodked en "attitude"toward the subject of preciousgems'that provided 'the bais for the COurse.An advanced text, the Liadicoat book contains .descriptions