New course on cultured pearls

It's so much fun to be in on this at the start. Who knows where greater "pearl literacy" might lead- I envision walking into a jeweler's shop and the jeweler actually knowing what they're talking about when it comes to pearls (which was not the case the two different times I did). It might even eventually put a dent in the infuriating ebay and tourist trap lies. Maybe?
 
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I enjoyed reading the course but some of the quiz/exam questions focus on rote learning - ie memorising certain dates/facts and regurgitating this for the exam. I personally don't feel that these questions test the right things. Dates are nice to have but are soon forgotten and are not really of any practical relevance.

What would take this course to the next level is to have questions that focus on the application of knowledge. For instance, you could have questions that provide photos and require candidates to rank pearls in terms of quality, highest luster etc. Or to discern certain characteristics such as irridescence or specific overtones etc. It would also be great if each section provided photos of varying quality grades - from commercial to gem.

A fun idea could be a photo of three pearls - for instance a white Tahitian, WSSP and akoya/Edison and ask candidates to identify each pearl.

Another comparison photo could be freshadama, akoya and metallics (a comparison that often comes up on this forum).

I echo earlier comments in saying that the best source of learning for me has been these forums. The best way to develop an eye for quality is to see as many pearls as possible in real life. The next best option, and the option for which I'm grateful, is taking advantage of the breadth of knowledge available on these forums. I have learnt so much from reading all the threads, and seeing all the photos, especially those that compare vendor and customer photos.
 
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Hanadama's made some great suggestions for additions to the pearl course!
 
hanadama said:
I enjoyed reading the course but some of the quiz/exam questions focus on rote learning - ie memorising certain dates/facts and regurgitating this for the exam. I personally don't feel that these questions test the right things. Dates are nice to have but are soon forgotten and are not really of any practical relevance.

What would take this course to the next level is to have questions that focus on the application of knowledge. For instance, you could have questions that provide photos and require candidates to rank pearls in terms of quality, highest luster etc. Or to discern certain characteristics such as irridescence or specific overtones etc. It would also be great if each section provided photos of varying quality grades - from commercial to gem.

A fun idea could be a photo of three pearls - for instance a white Tahitian, WSSP and akoya/Edison and ask candidates to identify each pearl.

Another comparison photo could be freshadama, akoya and metallics (a comparison that often comes up on this forum).

I echo earlier comments in saying that the best source of learning for me has been these forums. The best way to develop an eye for quality is to see as many pearls as possible in real life. The next best option, and the option for which I'm grateful, is taking advantage of the breadth of knowledge available on these forums. I have learnt so much from reading all the threads, and seeing all the photos, especially those that compare vendor and customer photos.
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With the limitations of the software, we aren't currently able to upload photos into the tests and our options are multiple choice. We had to use a software built for online testing because building the software from scratch would have been much more of monstrous undertaking.

The format is very similar to GIA's pearl course. The course is laid out to give students a full background of the history and current pearl industry. GIA has a secondary certification related to application with its pearl grading labs, but that is not covered in the actual Pearls course.

The dates are included in the tests (mostly in the first quiz) to make sure the course isn't skimmed and the information is actually learned. Sure those small details may be forgotten, but knowing they are coming up in quizzes should make people pay a lot closer attention.

I certainly agree one will learn much more being a member of Pearl Guide and participating in discussions here, but the course is not designed for pearl experts or members of this forum. It's designed for people who want become pearl experts and for retailers who want to sell more pearls. It was launched here first to get feedback (and thank you all for the hundreds of comments in the comment section of the slides), and is now going out to all foundation members of the CPAA and to the WJA and a few other organizations for dissemination to their wholesale and retail clients.
 
Okay, I just finished the final exam, but what is this about having to email someone named Bo to get my certificate? Or was this fixed and is no longer necessary? (There weren't any glitches, either.)

This is a wonderful course! I hope a lot of people are taking it.
 
Pearl Dreams said:
Okay, I just finished the final exam, but what is this about having to email someone named Bo to get my certificate? Or was this fixed and is no longer necessary? (There weren't any glitches, either.)

This is a wonderful course! I hope a lot of people are taking it.
Click to expand...

Congrats on a perfect score!

The newest version of the test sends an automated email with your score so you no longer have to email Bo directly.
 
Thanks. Those have been fixed. They must have been introduced when the test was written into the new test software.

The test results are automatically emailed to the CPAA, not to you.
 
In random thoughts that I'm sure you've already considered... Given that there isn't a standard grading system for freshwater pearls, is that something the CPAA could promote? Like encouraging member vendors to use something like "CPAA AA grade," etc, and have some kind of standardized way of grading? I really like the chart on Pearl Paradise's website that describes their grading system (https://www.pearlparadise.com/pages/pearl-grading), I think it gives a pretty clear idea of what the customer can expect. That way educated consumers will know the difference between "AAAAA++++ GRADE PERFECT LUSTER" pearls, and "CPAA AAA grade" pearls, etc.

I also feel that there should be different grading categories for shape and surface/luster. Because ripples, flameballs, keshi, etc, don't fall into the standard grading framework at all because of their shapes, but their luster can be amazing. Given how the desirability of non-round pearls has skyrocketed of late, it would be helpful to have a way to grade them as well. A lot of our P-G vendors are just really good about writing up descriptions of the pearls and their luster, but a grading system would be helpful, too.

I guess there's always some subjectivity in there, though, so it's difficult...
 
BWeaves said:
Has anyone gotten their certificate yet?
Click to expand...

The first ones were mailed out last week according to the Bo. He will have a large batch to mail out next week.

We've made another adjustment to the final exam page. When a student passes the test, there is not an automated temporary certificate that can be printed. There is also a message that the official certificate will arrive in 2-4 weeks. There are now 918 people enrolled, so they are about ready to get swamped.
 
918 people enrolled!!! Congratulations on such a successful rollout!
 
I've been telling all my 'jewelry industry" friends to check into it, and join.
 
Katbran said:
So I finished the test and got a score but it still says I'm 99% finished ? If I understood this correctly , I don't get an email to say I've completed it I just wait for the certificate ? Lots of hard work went into creating this , thanks very much !
Click to expand...

Congratulations!

Just click "Complete and Continue" on the page where you took the final exam and you should be at 100%.
 
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