In Pavia, the Italian Gemological Institute will be the University’s exclusive scientific partner in the new first-level Master’s Degree in Gemology, within the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. IGI will provide consultancy in course design and teaching services to students once the program is fully operational. This is the first master’s degree of its kind nationally and internationally. It will enable students to obtain both a first-level master’s degree and a gemologist diploma. The Italian Gemological Institute is the only accredited institution in Italy to award the Graduate Gemologist diploma.

Those who already hold an official IGI diploma or equivalent may request recognition of the portion of the training already completed. Classes will begin in January 2026 for the 2025-26 academic year, with a scientific program aimed at graduates destined for key roles in the precious metals industry, where a scientific approach based on advanced analysis techniques is increasingly necessary. The one-year Master’s Degree in Advanced Scientific Gemology aims to combine the gemological skills typical of a gemologist’s diploma with those of scientific gemology (crystallography and crystal chemistry, mineralogy, geochemistry, and ore formation, and analytical techniques), as well as management and sales, marketing, communication, research, and innovation.

The Master’s program instructors include internationally renowned scientists, as well as numerous industry professionals and leading figures in the gold and jewelry sector. Professionals trained in the Master’s Degree will find employment in jewelry companies, from supply chain to manufacturing and sales, including logistics, insurance, and appraisals, particularly in the leading gold and jewelry districts, from Valenza to Vicenza, from Arezzo to the Tarì basin. The program is recommended for those wishing to enter the gold and jewelry sector with a focus on precious stones. Those with consolidated skills in precious metal processing (industrial goldsmithing) who wish to extend their knowledge to gemology (primarily jewelry) and those already working in the gold and jewelry sector seeking professional retraining.

The collaboration with the Italian Gemological Institute (I.G.I.) includes the inclusion of the Institute’s courses leading to the official IGI diploma and thus the title of gemologist in the Master’s program. This includes a 37.5% discount on the standard IGI registration fee, as well as the recognition of 30 credits corresponding to the integrated Gemological Characterization course for those already holding a Gemologist diploma. Finally, a 30% discount on the Master’s registration fee is available to those already holding a gemologist diploma, issued by the Federation for European Education in Gemmology.

The new Master’s program is the result of a collaboration between the Italian Gemological Institute and the University of Pavia, recognizing the need to train professionals with strong specialization in gemology as well as transversal skills, capable of addressing the sector’s new challenges. Consider, for example, the growing challenges facing our industry with the proliferation of synthetic gems and laboratory treatments, which increasingly require refined gemological expertise.
Raffaele Maino, President of the Italian Gemological Institute

In a context characterized by an ever-increasing demand for clarity, transparency, and professionalism, our Institute, with its qualified faculty, intends to offer a tangible contribution of high ethical significance, collaborating in the training of professionals with outstanding technical and scientific expertise who will make the industry more expert, responsible, and sustainable. I would like to emphasize, paradigmatically, the unconventional decision we made three years ago to refuse to certify synthetic diamonds as natural ones, so as not to cause a loss of consumer trust and the reputation of retailers.
Loredana Prosperi, Director of the Italian Gemological Institute