10/02/2026
Identifying a 2-carat Ceylon sapphire is gemological knowledge. Determining its appropriate value for an estate, an insurance schedule, or a divorce settlement is appraisal practice. They require different skill sets, and the second one is where most professionals find their gaps.
Valuation methodology, professional standards, credible report development, the three approaches to value, the relationship between appraiser, client, and intended user: these are the foundations that separate a gemologist who offers opinions from an appraiser who produces defensible work product.
ASA's GJ201: Foundation I, Core Principles of Appraising Gems & Jewelry is where that foundation starts. It is the first course in the Gems & Jewelry Principles of Valuation series, built on the concepts and expectations of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), and it covers the valuation principles, ethics, competency standards, and reporting skills that carry through every course that follows.
GJ201 is one step in a longer path. For those working toward ASA credentials in the Gems & Jewelry discipline, it is the recommended starting point, and what you build here supports every stage of professional growth that comes after.
Registration is open for ASA's upcoming GJ201 course starting on 10/26. Register Now: https://hubs.la/Q04z1QdN0
