The art and science of precious stones
125,000+ gemologists trained over 60 years at IIG India. The same curriculum, faculty, and world-class specimen collection — now training the next generation in America.
The Story Behind IIG America
60 years. 125,000 professionals.
Now, America.
In 1965, a single classroom in Mumbai changed the gem trade forever. Kantilal Desai founded the International Institute of Gemology on one conviction: that diamonds and gemstones deserved the same scientific rigor as any other discipline.
Six decades later, IIG India operates across five campuses — Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Hong Kong — with a teaching collection of over 100,000 gemstone specimens, one of the largest in the world. More than 125,000 professionals have graduated, many of them now leading the world's most respected gem houses, auction rooms, and retail floors.
Now, for the first time in its 60-year history, IIG is crossing the Pacific. IIG America brings that same curriculum, the same faculty standards, the same industry partnerships — to the United States.
The world's most trusted gemological institute has arrived.
Your Credential
What the IIG name unlocks for you.
One diploma, recognized everywhere
Graduate in New York with the same credential issued in Mumbai, Antwerp, or Hong Kong — backed by 60 years of trust with employers, labs, and the global gem trade.
Pathways across the network
Start in the US, continue at any IIG campus worldwide. One curriculum, one standard — your coursework travels with you.
A shared teaching collection
US students draw on the parent institute’s collection of 100,000+ gemstone specimens — one of the largest teaching inventories in the world.
Courses
Three disciplines. One standard.
Every course at IIG America is built on the same curriculum spine used at IIG India — adapted for US learners, US employers, and US career paths.
Gemology
Identify, grade, and evaluate precious and semi-precious gemstones. Hands-on training with thousands of specimens from our teaching collection.
- Graduate Gemologist Course
- Colored Stones Essentials
- Gem Identification
- The Big 3 — Ruby · Sapphire · Emerald
Diamond Grading
Master the 4Cs — cut, color, clarity, carat. Curriculum aligned with De Beers and international lab standards including lab-grown diamond identification.
- Diamond Graduate Course
- Advanced Diamond Grading
- Lab-Grown Diamond Identification
- Rough Diamond Assortment
Jewelry Design
Develop original collections, master industry CAD tools, and understand manufacturing end-to-end — for designers, retailers, and entrepreneurs.
- Jewelry Design Graduate
- CAD for Jewelry (Rhino · Matrix)
- Manufacturing Techniques
- Retail & Merchandising
Why IIG America
Built for working professionals and career-changers.
The American gem and jewelry market is the largest in the world — and it rewards precision. Our courses are designed to produce graduates who can grade a stone, cost a piece, and advise a customer from day one.
Industry-Recognized Diplomas
Our curriculum is shaped with Gem-A (UK), De Beers Institute of Diamonds, and IBJA — the same standards IIG has trusted globally for 60 years.
Taught by Practicing Professionals
Faculty include appraisers, diamond graders, and designers who still work in the trade. You learn methods used on the bench today, not a decade ago.
Built for Real Careers
Placement support, resume review, and an employer network spanning Tiffany, Cartier, Signet, Blue Nile, and independent jewelers across the US.
Global Heritage, US Delivery
The parent institute has trained 100,000+ professionals since 1965. IIG America brings that depth to US learners — online and on campus.
Accredited & Affiliated
Global standards. Local delivery.
IIG’s global collaborations shape every course we teach in America.
Graduate Outcomes
Real careers, built here.
“The hands-on lab work with real colored stones made everything click. Within a month of graduating I was grading for a Fifth Avenue retailer.”
“IIG’s diamond curriculum — especially the lab-grown identification module — gave me the edge in an increasingly complex market.”
“I went from zero CAD experience to running my own boutique line. The design faculty pushed me to develop a point of view, not just technique.”
Campuses
One institute. A worldwide campus network.
Hands-on lab work is essential to gem and diamond training — join in person at any campus in our global network, or learn online from anywhere in the US while our New York campus grows.
India Campus Locations
Overseas Campus Locations
Ready to begin?
Speak with an IIG America admissions counselor to find the right course, timeline, and financing. Most students start in 4–6 weeks.