1) What university in Paris in 1895 to 1902 gave a degree in gemology?
2)What date did the Ritz Hotel began operation in Paris?
3)What was the country that produced the largest percentage of the
diamonds of the world in 1880 to 1902?

Hello:

1. After research I found out the answers your questions. Actually,
the very first degree in gemology was awarded in 1913
http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:5wVywpb4b84C:www.jewelrytraining.com/newpage/Catalog.doc+first+gemology+institute&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
(see Gemological Association of Great Britain at the center of the
article)
when the oldest institution in the world 'Gemological Association of
Great Britain, founded 1908, ( http://www.gagtl.ac.uk/ )held its first
examinations.
Before that gemology was intertwined with Geology education and no
official degrees were granted in gemology.

2. The Ritz started its operation in June 1, 1898.
(http://www.ritzparis.com/En/R0100.asp)

3. The country which produced the largest percentage of diamonds was
South Africa with a production of around 3 million carats in 1903.
Even in 1870 it produced 269,000 carats far exceeding the production
of any other country.
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/diamonds/africa.html
Please visit http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/diamonds/world.html for a
comparison with other countries in 19th century diamond production.

Other Interesting Facts:

India was the largest producer of diamonds in sixteenth and
seventeenth century.
Brazil topped that in eighteenth century.
South Africa became the largest producer in 1870's with the discovery
of Kimberly and De Beers mines and the Diamond rush started.
Botswana is the current leader.
http://www.gov.nt.ca/RWED/diamond/industry.htm
Canada is assumed to produce fifty percent of the diamond share within
20 years.

Other useful links:

http://folk.uio.no/hansjb/misc.htm

Search Strategy:

"Gemology Information" in Google search engine
"Origin of Gemology" in Google and Altavista search engines
"Gemology" link in http://www.dmoz.com

Useful Search Terms:

"Gemology education"
"world diamond production"
"diamond industry"
"gemology resource"

LINKS IN MY ANSWER

California Institute of Jewelry Training, Student Catalog.
http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:5wVywpb4b84C:www.jewelrytraining.com/newpage/Catalog.doc+first+gemology+institute&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Gemological Association of Great Britain, Main Page
http://www.gagtl.ac.uk/ 
Hotel Ritz, History Page
http://www.ritzparis.com/En/R0100.asp
American Museum of Natural History, Diamond production, South Africa
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/diamonds/africa.html
American Museum of Natural History, Diamond production
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/diamonds/world.html 
Gov. Of Canada, North West Territories Resources, Diamond Industry
http://www.gov.nt.ca/RWED/diamond/industry.htm

Hope my answer will solve the riddle. Please clarify if you need
further information. Thank you for asking.

Sincerely,
leader-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by dorlev-ga on 09 Feb 2003 16:03 PST

Thank you very much for your answers can you give me the name of the
university or college that intertwined gemology with geology in
1895--even if it didn't give a degree in Gemology.  Did it give a
degree in giology?
Thanks

---

Clarification of Answer by leader-ga on 09 Feb 2003 16:47 PST

Thank You for clarification. I am working on your inquiry and as soon
as I get an answer, I will post it.
Sincerely,
leader-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by leader-ga on 13 Feb 2003 12:12 PST

Hello:

I am still working to get the exact answer that you require. I will
post it within two days, if that's all right with you. If you need it
earlier, please clarify. THANKS AGAIN.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by dorlev-ga on 13 Feb 2003 16:22 PST

That's OK.  You can give me the exact answer in two days.  Thanks

---

Clarification of Answer by leader-ga on 16 Feb 2003 10:01 PST

Hello:

After extensive research, I have been able to track down a University
in Paris that awarded geology degrees in 1900's and earlier. The
institution is Sorbonne (Later converted into University of Paris). It
dates back to 11th century.

About Sorbonne:
http://www.1upinfo.com/encyclopedia/S/Sorbonne.html

University Website: http://www.sorbonne.fr/

I wasn't able to get a concrete evidence of its geology department
awarding degrees but there is a bio of one of its famous instructors
dating back to eighteenth century.
http://darwin.lib.cam.ac.uk/perl/nav?pclass=name&pkey=Pr%26%23x00e9%3Bvost%2C%20L.%20-C.

Other Sources
http://veneux.ensmp.fr/cofrhigeo/liens/liensen.htm

Geological Society of France
http://veneux.ensmp.fr/cofrhigeo/liens/liensen.htm

Search Strategy on Google:

sorbonne AND "geology"
university of sorbonne AND "geology"

Useful Terms:

University of Paris "geology"

I hope that this will help. I am pretty sure that geology has been
taught in the university for a couple of centuries or more as I came
across many topics where the university was highlighted in various
topics.

If still you dont feel satisfied, I will try to come out with amore
precise answer.

Thanks,
leader-ga.

Thanks I was very pleased

hi, dorlev..

I have the answer to #2 and #3.  #1 is proving to be a bit more
difficult, but I am working on it.

-THV

Thanks.  Please let me know when you have all the answers.  Also if
you come along information regarding a country at that time that had
the worst conditions regarding workers that mined diamonds please let
me know. At the time what they called "diamond wars," or such terms,
took place where owners of diamond mines treated their worker who dug
diamonds in mines very poorly.  I am looking for a country that had
the worst conditions.
Thanks,
Dora