Gems at UC Berkeley

Are you interested in gemology, but don't have a strong background in science? Then, according to Professor Jill Banfield, this introductory earth science course at UC Berkeley should give you what you need.

The EPS 2 Gems and Gem Minerals course website provides all the basics that you need online. There is no required textbook, however Gemology by Hurlbut and Kammerling is recommended for additional information.

Just click on the "students arrow" and dive right in. There are six modules, with extensive materials in each. Starting with "What is a gem?" each section is loaded with information, beautiful illustrations and movie clips to show how things work.

Lifelong learners wanting to find out about gems will definitely benefit from this course. The only negative about this online course, if there is one, is no audio or video of the lectures. We are very quickly becoming spoiled with the so many available resources.