How To Become a Jewelry Artist
The economy might be in dire straits, but one thing will always be a source for clamoring over: beautiful, status-screaming jewelry. Jewelry has been the hand-held calling card of the rich, famous and need-to-be-seen. Gorgeous, intricately detailed pieces capturing all of the attention in the room. Somebody has to make it and, well, it would be a crime to allow someone else to do what you were born to do.
- Take general courses in art, mechanical drawing, chemistry and math.
- Look into taking a course in Computer-Aided Design, commonly called CAD. Search online for places that offer these courses.
- Call your local community college and inquire if they might offer a course on jewelry design.
- Go to your local jewelry store. Ask the manager about becoming a jewelry designer/artist. Ask if she could point you in the right direction of who to talk to about learning how to become one. If she doesn't know, ask if you can have the number to the main buyer of the company. Go as high as you can up the chain of command until you reach the person that you need to talk to.
- Start practicing on your own. Use what you learned in your CAD class and use software that will help you create designs that look advanced and detailed.
- Take a course in gemology. This is the study of precious and semi-precious stones, and how they are formed and cut.
- Become an understudy. Look online for a local jewelry artist/designer, call him and tell him what you are interested in doing. Ask if you can study under him and intern for him at no cost, if necessary. This will help you in the long run when it comes to employment.