Practical Guides & Workshops

Explore practical gemstone guides and workshops from Natural Gems Belgium, designed to develop hands-on skills in practical gemmology, jewellery making and gemstone faceting. From using gemmological instruments and examining natural gemstones to selecting materials, evaluating rough, cutting, polishing and jewellery-making techniques, these resources combine practical instruction with technically informed gemstone knowledge for dedicated hobbyists, collectors and experienced makers.

Practical gemstone guides for gemmology, faceting and jewellery making

Explore Our Practical Gemstone Guides

Jewellery Making

Learn the techniques, materials and practical considerations behind working with natural gemstones in jewellery. From selecting suitable stones, tools and components to setting, assembling, finishing and caring for completed pieces, these guides combine accessible instruction with technical detail relevant to both serious hobbyists and professional makers.

Gemstone Faceting

Develop your faceting skills through practical guidance on selecting rough, planning yield, orienting colour and inclusions, choosing suitable cuts, preforming, cutting and polishing. Stone-specific guides explore how crystal structure, cleavage, fracture, pleochroism and other gemmological properties can influence decisions at the faceting machine.

Practical Gemmology

Learn how to use essential gemmological instruments and observation techniques through practical, step-by-step guidance. These guides cover tools such as the 10× loupe, gemmological microscope, refractometer, polariscope, dichroscope and spectroscope, together with lighting, handling and examination techniques. The emphasis is on understanding what each instrument can reveal, how observations should be made and how practical results contribute to gemstone identification and analysis.

Latest Guides

Practical knowledge is an important part of understanding and working with natural gemstones. The Natural Gems Belgium Practical Guides & Workshops combine gemmological knowledge with hands-on techniques, helping readers understand not only how particular processes are carried out, but also how the physical and optical properties of a gemstone can influence practical decisions.

The Jewellery Making guides explore gemstone selection, tools, findings, setting and assembly techniques, finishing, durability and care. The Gemstone Faceting guides focus on evaluating rough material, orientation, usable yield, cut planning, preforming, facet design, cutting and polishing. Practical Gemmology guides introduce the correct use of essential gemmological instruments and observation techniques, helping readers examine optical and physical properties, inclusions and other identification features. Throughout all three areas, properties such as hardness, toughness, cleavage, fracture, colour zoning and sensitivity to heat or mechanical stress are considered where they are relevant to working safely and effectively with natural gem materials.

Designed for dedicated hobbyists, gemstone enthusiasts, makers and professionals, this section will develop into an expanding practical reference library. Individual guides will range from fundamental techniques to more detailed material-specific subjects, connecting practical craftsmanship with the wider gemmological knowledge available throughout the Natural Gems Belgium Learning Center.