Gabrielle Grazi, vice president of retail strategy and partnerships at the Natural Diamond Council, lays out the basics of the group’s recently launched course.
How many people have registered for the program so far?
We have 1,000-plus jewelry professionals at best-in-class luxury and fine-jewelry stores across North America — Day’s Jewelers, Razny Jewelers, James Free Jewelers, Ben Bridge, London Jewelers, and Blue Nile, to name a few currently enrolled.
Can you tell us about the curriculum?
It consists of six interactive education episodes [following an] introduction to the Natural Diamond Council: “The History of Natural Diamonds,” “The Allure of Natural Diamonds,” “Commitment to Sustainability,” “The Difference Between Natural Diamonds and Lab-Grown Diamonds,” “Fancy Colored Diamonds,” and “Diamond Facts: Busting Myths with Facts.”
What specific knowledge gap within the industry motivated the NDC to create this course?
Technical education on diamonds is available in abundance. Our platform goes beyond the 4Cs and is designed to accelerate the jewelry professional’s knowledge of the rich history, storytelling and facts around natural diamonds. It was built with the frontline professional in mind. It caters to varying learning styles and is both mobile- and desktop-friendly.
About how long should it take to complete the course?
It’s a self-paced curriculum. The approximate time for completion is listed in each learning path.
Does it come with an accreditation?
Badges are available for each completed learning path and can be uploaded on the user’s LinkedIn or Facebook page. A certificate of completion is offered once all learning paths have been completed.
What are some ways that course attendees can share their new knowledge with their clients or communities?
The platform offers downloadable, pre-formatted social-media and digital assets, educational infographics, and point-of-sale materials that can be shared, along with links to related articles from our naturaldiamonds.com website. The assets can be utilized for e-blasts, social media posts, or newsletters, as well as by sales professionals to inspire and educate their clients. We also offer two workshops with facilitator guides that can be used for training or to host informational or education events for clients.
Is the NDC planning to expand its online education programs?
We will continue to enhance our offering as we refresh assets, create new educational campaigns and content, and release new industry research. [New interactive education episodes] will be released annually in the spring.
How much does the course cost?
The annual subscription for retail jewelers is $5,000 per [store] location. We also offer an individual single-subscriber option for private jewelers or sales professionals looking to enhance their education, for $1,000.
Main image: Campaign by the Natural Diamond Council (NDC).
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