I have been asked many times for advice about becoming a professional jeweler. So here are my musings, thoughts, and opinions on how to become a professional jeweler. This might ramble a bit but I feel this all ties together.
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Below is the description that I share to let people know what I do as a Jewelry Educator.I felt it might be wise to look at this statement, “deconstruct” it and expand on it so you can see my reasoning for writing what I did. it has a lot to talk about and even more importantly, think about.My statement: As a Jewelry Educator, I strive to blend historical and modern methods of jewelry design and metalwork via lectures, teaching, and hands on learning in a variety of traditional and contemporary materials and processes. I teach the formal principles and elements…
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Understanding how to choose the appropriate file sizes, shapes and styles for the work you do will help ensure high-quality, repeatable results for all your jewelry designs.
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I have seen that many online educational videos tend to assume that you have some experience with bench work. Many also assume that you have access to tools. Lots of tools. Very expensive tools. This was a pet peeve of mine when I was just starting in the 80's and it seems that nothing has really changed.
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A great example of how things change. Look at your engagement or wedding ring. Is it a Tiffany style solitaire? If so, I have some trivia for you.
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As an artisan, when asked to create a proposal for regalia, I normally have a conversation similar to the following.
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I have no “artistic ability“. But I do not care about that. I have plenty of “creative ability”. I would prefer to have both.
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Deconstruction is a process to understand how something was created. Mostly used in writing, it is also used in art.It is looking at the “components” to see how they make the “whole”, whether that is a piece of writing, a building, a favorite chair, a ring… Deconstruction looks at the smaller parts that were used to create an object. This gives insight into the mind of the person who created it. In some ways, it lets their thoughts and ideas continue to live centuries after they have passed. The smaller parts are usually ideas.