Shirley Mitchell FGA DGA FJRV PJValDip PJGemDip has been in the jewellery trade for over 20 years and adores coloured gems and valuing beautiful pieces of jewellery. Having been a retail manager and valuer for a number of years, she hung up her retail hat and started her own independent valuation consultancy in 2010. Since then she has built a strong business, valued the jewels of royalty and celebrity and is seen as one of the leaders in the field of valuation.

Shirley was recognised with the first Association of Independent Jewellery Valuers (AIJV) Valuer of the Year award in May 2013 and the coveted IRV David Wilkins Valuer of the Year Award in September 2013 and again in 2019. She is a Fellow of the Jewellery Valuers Association, Member Liaison Officer of the JVA and Chair of the Academy of Valuers. She is a senior member of the Association of Independent Valuers, a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers and Accredited Gemologists Association in the USA, and with a dedication for education became an online tutor for Gem-A in 2016. Inspired by so many great gemmologists and tutors, Shirley is happiest when she is helping others develop in their gem, jewellery and valuation careers.

Workshop Content

This workshop will cover many types of gemstone settings and the possible pitfalls when testing. The session will focus on gemstone observation using the loupe and microscope, as well as instruments like the spectroscope, refractometer and polariscope. Participants will uncover what tests can be used to confirm a gemstone’s identity despite the limitations of a mount, while learning how to overcome obstacles, such as being unable to see the girdle of a triplet in a rub-over setting. Practise your newfound skills with plenty of samples as well as worksheets to complete.