The Gemmological Institute is set up upon approval of the former Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources and a higher learning institution with cultivating high-level jewelry talents, promoting progress of gem technology and serving development of gem industry as its mission.

In 1988, the Institute cooperated with Fellowship of Gemological Association and introduced the internationally advanced FGA training system, a groundbreaking event in jewelry education of China. In 1994, the Institute successfully launched its own first gem and diamond certificate program--vocational training system of Gemmological Institute of China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) for gem appraiser and created GIC brand. By end of 2013, the people coming to the Institute to pursue the GIC certificate were cumulatively more than 30,000 person-times and that pursuing FGA and DGA certificates were also more than one thousand person-times. The students were from gem QC station and various gem companies across mainland China and even the gem industry in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. Hence, the Institute is honored as "cradle of gem education".

The Institute began to offer undergraduate education in gem from 1994 and was the first one to successively set up undergraduate program, master program and doctoral program of gem type in China and systemically construct the complete diploma education system that aims at cultivating high-level gem and jewelry talents. At present, the Institute offers two undergraduate majors: gem and material technology (national characteristic major), jewelry design; four master programs: gem, material engineering (gem material), design science and art design; one doctor major: gem science. Of which, design science is key discipline of Hubei province and "Gem and Jewelry Inheritance and Innovative Development Research Center" is key research base of humanities and social sciences of Hubei Province. The Institute attaches great importance to running the Institute internationally and has established and maintained close teaching and research cooperation and exchange relationship with international mainstream gem institutions. At present, the Institute has established cooperation relationship in joint students cultivation, teacher exchange and visit, technology cooperation and academic exchange with Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD), University for the Creative Arts (UCA), INSEEC, RENNES School of Business (ESC), International Gemmological Institute (ING), School of Art Design of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and gem and jewelry education institution of other famous universities. Close combination of industry, university and research institute and serving the gem industry and local economic development is distinctive feature of the Institute. Apart from training and delivering thousands of professional techical experts for the industry, the Institute has also set up the most authoritative gem testing institution in China and set up gem testing laboratories in Wuhan, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhushan and Yichang to offer professional testing service for hundreds of gem and jewelry enterprises. The gem identification instruments developed and produced by the Institute have won many national patents, are sold in many countries and regions and have good reputation in gem industry of China. Hubei Zhushan Turquoise Resources Conservation and Orderly Development Project led by the Institute has become the first industry of Zhushan County, making the value of turquoise increase by tens of times. Products of nearly 5 Billion Yuan of Hubei Yichang International Gem Industrial Park constructed with support of the Institute are directly sold in the international market. First phase of Wuhan Huangpi District Chow Tai Fook Gem Cultural Industry Park with annual output of more than 10 Billion Yuan has been built and put into operation in September 2014. "Lumo Road Gem Cultural Street" and "Wuhan · Gem Valley of China" that the Institute participates in planning and promotes (formally started in October 2014) will exert great influence on development of gem cultural industry and economic restructuring of Wuhan.