Gem Discovery III with Tay Kunming: What Is the Value of the Gem?

Complete the Gem Discovery journey: bring identity, quality and value together to choose your next gemstone with confidence.
About this Event

What is this gemstone? What makes it fine? Now, what is it worth?

Every gemstone purchase brings these three questions together.

In Gem Discovery 1, we explored gemstone identity—looking beyond appearance to understand what a stone is and how gemological tools and evidence help us investigate it.

In Gem Discovery 2, we looked more closely at quality—comparing colour, clarity, cutting and other characteristics, learning what professionals look for and discovering our own preferences.

Now, Gem Discovery 3 completes the series by bringing identity and quality together to answer the next question:

What am I paying for—and which differences are worthwhile to me?

Join gemologist and The Gem Museum co-founder Tay Kunming for a two-hour, hands-on conclusion to the Gem Discovery journey. Through real gemstones, practical comparisons and stories from the trade, turn what you have discovered into a clearer direction for your next purchase.

Connect what you see with what you pay

Two stones may look similar yet carry very different prices. Explore how their identity, quality, treatment, size and supporting evidence help explain the difference.

Building on Part 2, consider how to interpret a seller’s quality descriptions, ask useful questions and decide which qualities you personally value.

Discover how Beauty, Durability, Rarity, Demand, Tradition and Portability contribute to gemstone value—and how their importance changes with what you want to own, wear or collect.

See how professionals investigate a price

Get an introduction to pricing references in the market, then try a guided, 15-minute pricing exercise.

Using one example, practise locating a Rapaport reference, calculating a quoted discount and understanding why specifications matter when comparing offers.

Then consider the question behind the calculation: does a bigger discount make this the better purchase?

You will also explore why a retail price, an insurance replacement value and a resale offer can differ.

Deepen your appreciation

Consider what makes a gemstone special to the market—and what makes it meaningful to its owner.

Bring the whole series into your personal buying brief

Throughout the session, develop a practical description of the gemstone you would love to own:

• The gem, colour and appearance that attract you.
• How you would wear, use or collect it.
• Your preferred size and budget.
• The qualities that matter most.
• The compromises you are comfortable accepting.
• The information you need before purchasing.

Apply your thinking to a buying scenario, discuss your choice and refine your brief.

Leave knowing what you are looking for, why it matters to you and what your next step could be.

Who should join?

This is the concluding session for participants of Gem Discovery 1 and 2, bringing your learning together into a practical buying decision.

New participants are also welcome. A short recap introduces the foundations, while the earlier sessions offer further opportunities to develop your understanding of identity and your eye for quality.

What is included?

• Two hours of guided learning with Tay Kunming.
• Hands-on gemstone comparisons and buying exercises.
• A personal gemstone buying brief.
• A small group of eight participants.

Saturday, 12 December 2026 · 2:00pm–4:00pm
The Gem Museum · 9 Perak Road, Singapore 208130
S$58 per participant

The three-part series ends with a beginning of your own: a clearer idea of the gemstones you love, greater confidence in choosing them and the enjoyment of continuing your gemstone journey.

Bring your completed brief to a conversation with Kunming if you would like help exploring suitable stones or planning a viewing.