The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has included the study of Coloured Stones into its Web-based Distance Education initiative. The GIA has positioned its Colored Stones eLearning course, as more robust than any eLearning course yet. %% The Coloured Stone course on the web has over 1,000 videos, slideshows and animations to offer. Its curriculum includes detailed information on all sorts of gemstones and shows ways to evaluate quality, rarity, and colour of the stone. It allows students to explore how gems are created deep beneath the earth, gain an outlook of working mines, and hear words of gem dealers, cutters and retailers speak on the coloured stones market. %% “GIA’s new Colored Stones course provides a vibrant learning experience never seen before in gemological education,” said Duncan Pay, GIA Course Development director. “The eLearning program is so dynamic, we can continuously update and enhance content,” he added. “The goal is to serve our students by providing the most sophisticated learning environment and set the highest standards of excellence in gemological education. This new course offers a wider, broader perspective on the colored stone market than a student would ever be able to get from a book alone,” Pay added.