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Mikimoto Pearls and GIA Team Up For You.
With a $120,000 donation Mikimoto (America) Co., Ltd. has established the Mikimoto Pearls Course Scholarship at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Starting in 2006, the program will provide 10 scholarships to Distance Education students each year, GIA announced Friday. Mikimoto America President Mitsuhiro Mitsui,, said he was honored to establish the first-ever pearls scholarship to make the GIA course available to more people, particularly retail sales associates. In recognition of the gift, Mitsui will be inducted into the League of Honor at GIA's annual dinner on Sept. 19 in New York.
"We value GIA as the industry leader in education," Mitsui said in GIA's release. "Mikimoto is always expanding its training in the quality of pearls, so we look to GIA for teaching what we value the most—quality."
The Pearls course covers GIA's seven Pearl Value Factors (size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality, and matching) among other key topics, all of which help set industry guidelines, according to Robert Artelt, senior vice president of retail and marketing for Mikimoto (America) Co., Ltd.
GIA and Mikimoto have previously worked together to resolve industry issues. During the 1990s, researchers from both organizations studied unusually large (10+ mm), near-spherical, freshwater cultured pearls from China that were causing many to question their nucleation process, which the two organizations ultimately concluded was traditionally created.
"Mikimoto's longstanding dedication to the Institute and to the quality assurance of cultured pearls aptly culminates in their new Pearls course scholarship opportunity," said GIA President William E. Boyajian. "By supporting GIA's efforts to teach many more in the industry about cultured and natural pearls, Mikimoto is helping us uphold our public service mission."
Mikimoto previously gave GIA $500,000 to help build the Institute's world headquarters in Carlsbad. The Mikimoto Rotunda was named in its honor.
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Comments
Can you kindly assist me with a scholarship to stugy at GIA on distance education.I hope to hear from you soon
Kindly Regards
Joel Siyathemba Bhengu
Posted by: Siyathemba Joel Bhengu on August 26, 2008 4:58 PM
LAME AS HELL
Posted by: Geeky1247 on September 23, 2008 3:48 PM