By Larne Boyles

Mary Peterson pretty much had to force her husband, Myron, to give up his traditional Friday morning bird-watching expedition in Laguna Beach, California, to attend GIA’s Open House. She knew the trip had better be worth it, or she’d never hear the end of it.

Her concerns vanished, however, after they toured GIA’s Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) classroom. A retired couple with no jewelry background, they were in awe of the campus and the opportunity to peek into the technological advances in jewelry design and manufacturing.

“I can’t believe what they’re doing with computers,” she says. “Ten years ago, who would’ve thought that was possible? It’s incredible!”

Their surprise came from seeing a demonstration of the CAD/CAM SolidWorks program students use to design three-dimensional models of jewelry on the computer before they’re automatically turned into finished “wax” pieces ready for casting. 

The Petersons were among more than 1,100 visitors to GIA’s Carlsbad campus Oct. 15 for its Open House and annual West Coast Career Fair. Amidst the droves of well-dressed job seekers scouting their next big career move, they saw a world they’d never experienced before.

San Diego resident Norma Martinez chose to visit GIA after seeing a promotional piece for the Open House on the local CBS network affiliate. Since her hobbies include looking at jewelry and touring model homes, it was the perfect opportunity to enjoy both, she said.

An auction house aficionado as well, Martinez took advantage of the resources at the Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center to research various appraisal associations. She said she’s purchased quite a few pieces of jewelry over the years and often wondered if she was getting authentic material.

“I always wanted to know if the certificates I received with my purchases really matched the jewelry,” she said. “Other than bringing my items to a jeweler, I didn’t know there were other options out there.”

Not everyone at Open House was new to the gem and jewelry industry. GIA graduate Betsy Dugger, who happened to be spending the day at nearby Carlsbad beach, arrived in her flip-flop sandals and sun hat to check out the GIA Gem Instruments Bookstore. She’s worked in various sectors of the industry throughout her career and gives gem and mineral presentations to children at elementary schools.

“I came to see what kinds of extra visual tools I might be able to use for my presentation next week,” she said.

Others, like Dana Springs, a public art project coordinator for the City of San Diego, came to explore GIA’s educational offerings after reading about Open House in a brochure she picked up at last summer’s San Diego County Fair.

Springs, who’s had a lifelong interest in fashion and design, has even created some of her own pieces of jewelry. She hoped her visit to GIA would lead her in a new direction to fine tune her design skills. She’s also planning to start a family soon, so she was looking for new opportunities that would allow her to work from home. After touring the campus, she was confident GIA would be able to provide the highest quality education, she said.

“I’d heard of GIA, but after coming here today and seeing all the different ages and ethnicities, I was pleasantly shocked and impressed,” Springs said. “I see all these different people and it makes me feel confident that GIA really has a reach in the world and that it’s not just something that’s printed on the brochure.”