Here we will talk about activities that are associated with beauty and luxury.
From this article you will learn what kind of profession a jeweler is, what he does and what functions he performs during his work. We will also tell you where and how to get training in order to gain knowledge and practice in jewelry making. To briefly answer the question: “Who is this jeweler?”, let’s turn to Wikipedia. It says that a jeweler is a person who creates, repairs and cleans jewelry of precious metals, with or without the use of stones.
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History of the profession
- Since ancient times, people have decorated themselves with various products made from available materials (stones, bones, bronze). This is precisely the beginning of the profession of “jeweler”.
- The first items that look more perfect are the jewelry found during excavations in Egypt. They were found in the pyramid of one of the ancient pharaohs.
- Over time, people learned to make exquisite jewelry designs, getting closer and closer to ideal shapes and proportions.
Jewelry spoke about a person’s status in society. Since ordinary peasants could not afford products made of precious metals, they were content with copper or bronze jewelry.
Where can I get an education?
Without specialized education, a novice jewelry designer will not be able to create high-quality jewelry, even if he has the best tools and advanced software in his arsenal. It would seem that the easiest and practically inexpensive way is to independently study the profession.
But, alas, being a jeweler, and also a designer, is not a specialty that can be mastered without the help of professionals. Yes, there is quite a lot of literature on self-study in the segment, but not only is it scattered, but also a good half of the critical aspects are simply not covered in it.
To master the basics of the profession without an experienced mentor, you will have to spend a lot of time and effort, including expensive material. With serious intentions, there is only one way - to the university.
Offline universities
University programs last approximately 4-6 years of study. Upon completion, the graduate will have the knowledge and skills necessary for employment in their specialty. Only practice and self-education will help in further development.
Leading universities for mastering the specialty of jewelry designer:
- MGHPU named after. S.G. Stroganov;
- MSTU im. A.N. Kosygina;
- RSUH named after. S. Ordzhonikidze;
- Magnitogorsk State Technical University named after. G.I. Nosova;
- Novosibirsk State Technical University;
- Vyatka State University.
If funds allow, then you can look towards prestigious foreign universities. Having a diploma from one of the educational institutions mentioned below, there will be no problems with employment. Famous brands are eyeing newly minted specialists even before graduation.
Prestigious foreign universities:
- Birmingham City University, England;
- Melbourne Polytechnic, Australia;
- NSCAD, Canada;
- University of the Arts London, England;
- Istituto Marangoni, Italy/England.
Tuition fees at such universities range around $20,000 per year.
Skillbox program
If a university seems too fundamental a decision, then you can get acquainted with the profession through courses. This format allows you to master a specialty without interrupting your current job. In addition, not everyone is ready to fork out a very significant amount for studying at a university.
A prominent representative of the online courses segment is Skillbox. The platform offers a program of 4 courses and practical classes , based on the results of which a portfolio is filled out. The lectures are designed for both absolute beginners in this matter and professionals who want to improve their level.
The training program includes:
- jewelry design development;
- creating sketches;
- visualization in the Rhinoceros program;
- formation of your own style with an eye on modern trends;
- detailed study of materials - stones and metals.
The cost of the courses fluctuates around 7,800 rubles per month. From time to time there are discounts and promotions where the amount can be reduced by almost half. It is also possible to complete training in installments.
Description of the profession
Needless to say, making jewelry requires special skill, effort and knowledge, as it is a very delicate and complex work.
There are several processes that are used in making jewelry:
- Metal forging;
- Coinage;
- Casting;
- Creating artistic metal grain.
Also, when making jewelry, there are a huge number of processes that every professional craftsman must master.
Jewelry directions
The name of the profession “jeweler” is a generalized concept that unites all specialists involved in this industry.
There are a number of categories into which jewelry craftsmen are divided:
- A craftsman who creates individual products according to his own sketches or personal sketches of clients;
- Engraver , a person who inscribes jewelry;
- Filigree maker . Create openwork patterns on created jewelry;
- Bracelet . Engaged in the manufacture of chains and bracelets;
- Mounter . Performs final processing of jewelry.
It is worth understanding that no matter what work a jeweler performs, any of these processes requires high skill and good knowledge.
Salary at the beginning of activity and for experienced specialists
It is very difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question of how wealthy the life of a jewelry designer is. Many factors influence a specialist's remuneration. Here is the customer with his desires, the experience of the master, and the degree of complexity of the project.
With due diligence, even a beginner can earn quite a decent income . It is important not to stop there, burying yourself in the routine of ordinary orders. It is possible to take this area in quantity, but with each subsequent year the prospects for development are melting before our eyes.
University graduates can expect a salary of around 40,000 rubles per month. Jewelry designers with 3 years of experience earn about 60-80 thousand in the regions. The remuneration of professionals ranges from 200-500 thousand rubles. In the capital and abroad, fees for jewelers' services are naturally higher.
Get professional training
Requirements for the personal qualities of a specialist
As everyone has long known, each profession requires special personal qualities from a person, thanks to which the work will be as productive and comfortable as possible, especially for the specialist.
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The list of requirements for a jeweler will be as follows:
- The ability to organize your time so that the day is as productive as possible;
- Don't be afraid of monotonous work;
- Have perseverance;
- Be responsible, aware and attentive;
- Have a creative nature and an artistic eye.
How to become a jeweler
In order to become a jeweler, you must have certain personality qualities, as we wrote about above, as well as undergo special training.
It is worth keeping in mind that jewelry making is a rare department in educational institutions.
Therefore, if you have chosen a place where you can acquire this profession, you will have to study the following subjects:
- Decorative and applied arts and working with precious metals;
- Jewelry;
- Jeweler.
You can acquire the profession of a jeweler by enrolling in the following educational institutions:
- Belgorod Institute of Art and Culture, Belgorod;
- Art and Industry University named after S.G. Stroganov Moscow city;
- University named after A.G. Petrovsky Bryansk.
- There are also various courses where you can quickly learn this skill.
Despite the fact that these specialties are not very popular among students, every year the demand for them in the labor market is becoming higher.
The most unusual and most expensive orders
— Are there orders that surprise you?
- Yes. For example, there was a 370 g silver anchor chain that a 100 kg bodybuilder was going to use to do pull-ups. Colleagues said that nothing would work, it would break - but it didn’t break.
The accordion pendant was ordered by a client from another city. “Thanks to this order, I remembered how an accordion differs from a button accordion,” says Alexander.
Once they ordered me a medallion with a pentagram, which I had to finish making on Tuesday - only on this day there is some special energy.
Sometimes they order things that many people wouldn’t even think of, but I’m not surprised: everyone has their own cockroaches, everyone lives as they want. That’s why I do it, and if a person is happy, I’m happy too. One of the most unusual orders was a silver rod for the urethra. The customer wrote that he was satisfied.
— What is the most expensive jewelry that was ordered for you or brought in for repair?
– We ordered two large chains made of 750 gold for 550 thousand rubles. And for example, they brought in a Cartier bracelet worth 1.2 million for repair; a diamond fell out of the jewelry. It’s exciting to work with such things; it’s scary to damage or ruin them. It's better not to know how much it costs at all.
Professional Responsibilities
And now we should tell you what the jeweler does during his work and what is included in the list of his responsibilities.
- Creates a sketch and drawing of the future product;
- Selects the technique in which the decoration will be made;
- Prepares the future product;
- Finishes the product, inserts a stone, makes engraving;
- Works with enamel.
These processes are quite complex and require special efforts and a reverent attitude from the professional to their work.
How to find a job for a beginner
A win-win option is design forums and large ad aggregators, like Avito or HeadHunter. In addition to monitoring vacancies, it makes sense to leave your resume on job search sites. HR departments of large companies prefer to work in this format rather than issue advertisements.
In addition to the field of jewelry design, a specialist can try himself as a consultant. In a good place, the latter sometimes receives much greater rewards than an ordinary jeweler. Also, no one is stopping you from going into the field of gemology. Professionals there are worth their weight in gold.
Pros and cons of the profession
Now let’s figure out what are the pros and cons of this type of activity that professional jewelers get along with.
First, let’s look at all the good things about being a jeweler:
- Opportunity for creative self-expression;
- High professional demand;
- Opportunity to open your own business;
- Good pay.
And now about the disadvantages of the profession:
- High responsibility;
- Requires perseverance, monotonous work;
- At the initial stage of labor activity, low wages.
Career prospects for the jeweler profession
Jewelry craftsmanship is a lifelong journey; you will have to constantly learn and improve your skills. Training will help you keep up with the times, follow trends and understand what is happening in the market. Throughout your career, you will be expected to experiment and introduce new technologies into your work.
A jeweler can become a freelancer, open his own company, or work for hire in studios, factories and workshops. It is possible to specialize exclusively in design and submit sketches to other craftsmen for production; deal with the calculation part of the work: drawings, consumption of materials, etc.; become a professional in a narrow field: inlay, engraving, polishing, 3D modeling, using one material. And someone will prefer to choose an extensive activity and realize themselves as a universal jeweler.
Thanks to the active growth of the luxury goods industry, one of the promising areas of career development at the moment is the production of jewelry accessories and interior items: vases, figurines, hair ornaments, cufflinks, golf clubs and much more.
To present jewelry, you can post your work on specialized websites, participate in exhibitions and competitions, and also join professional organizations to expand your network of contacts. A portfolio created while studying jewelry design in Italy and a personal website where you can introduce yourself and demonstrate the projects you have created will help you find a suitable position.
Let's sum it up
Based on the information presented in this article, it can be understood that the profession of “jeweler” is perfect for people who have creative potential and their own artistic vision. Thanks to these personality traits and professional training, a person has every chance of having a successful career, creating not just jewelry, but real works of art.
A person who reads this article is unlikely to ask the question: “Who is this jeweler?”
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