grading courses have been recently completed at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industries. The courses were launched by International Diamond Laboratories (IDL), the leading diamond certification laboratory based in the Middle East. Buoyed by the great demand for these courses in the Saudi market, the IDL will organize fresh courses next month, according to Jeroen Michielsen, Business Development and Education Executive in International Diamond Laboratories. The IDL held intensive six-day training programs on diamond grading in Jeddah covering the theory and practical aspects of diamond grading. To ensure that proper individual attention is given to each student, the IDL only takes 15 students in each group, Michielsen said. He confirmed that the Saudi market was very important for the IDL as it is the largest regional consumer of diamonds and accounts for 80 percent of the demand for diamond jewelry in the Gulf. Saudi women spent SR7 billion on diamonds in 2007. This figure is expected to rise by 15 to 20 percent this year, he said. He said the trainees in the courses were very enthusiastic; there was a real ‘hunger' to learn about diamonds. “Our initiative is to create awareness about the diamond industry and also help to increase consumer confidence,” he added. He noticed that there was a growing demand for accurate grading services and knowledgeable staff in the diamond and jewelry industry. These professional courses are aimed at imparting the knowledge and skills required for being a successful diamond grader and will also help boost knowledge and confidence for anyone working with diamonds or diamond jewelry. In the course, the main stress was laid on quality determination of cutting diamonds on the basis of their color, clarity and cut. The use and handling of all instruments needed to do a correct evaluation is explained in the every day practical sessions. __
