Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

A glittering career
For someone with creative flare and fashion sense jewellery designing can be a very exciting career option. Ishani Ranasinghe takes a closer look
Diamonds that dazzle, rich rubies, bright sapphires and delicate work in different hues and designs, from artificial to silver, gold to platinum… jewellery has been something that has always charmed us. Never a privilege of women, men too have not been able to withstand the lure of jewellery. In fact, it will not be wrong to say that jewellery has always been a vital part of the Sri Lankan psyche. As a result, it’s associated with all the happy occasions in our lives: births, engagements, weddings, anniversaries and so on.

It’s a good time to think of jewellery designing as a career option. Till barely 10-15 years back, jewellery designing was confined to a few goldsmiths. Nowadays though, things have changed.

The entry of new and international brands in the jewellery market has led to more competition for better designs and specialised businesses. Undoubtedly, it has also given a new lease of life to jewellery designing as a viable career for young designers.

The job
As a jewellery designer you would be preparing sketches, by hand or on the computer to conceputalise the design. After consulting with the customer or the manufacturing team, designers make detailed drawings, a structural model, computer stimulations or a full-scale prototype.

Helpful traits
While there are no specific traits for a jewellery designer, one can learn everything while getting trained. However, you need a passion for the profession; otherwise there is no way you can learn.

You would obviously have to have a knack for coming up with exclusive and intricate designs that are not only great but also wearable, and an open mind that can visualise designs from anything and everything. Of course, if you add an eye for imaginative patterns as well as an inquiring mind, and the skills to understand the latest trends and client’s needs, then you have the potential to be a good designer. Though some designers may have inherited their talent, professional training does help.

Precision and attention to detail are also equally important for a successful jeweller. It’s also important to have a working knowledge about manufacturing. One should be well versed with the fashion industry on the international front too.

Getting started
Earlier, the only way one could learn this craft was to be an apprentice to an experienced jeweller. But these days, one can take up a diploma course in jewellery design after school.

Various institutes offer diploma courses in jewellery designing. The course gives you basic information on the different kinds of stones, colour schemes in jewellery, design themes, presentation and framing, designing individual jewellery pieces, men’s jewellery, costume jewellery, jewellery costing, etc.

But a professional in designing jewellery does not need formal training. A professional in any other field can take up jewellery designing workshops and set up a business production house.

Opportunities available
One can work in any of the following sectors:
*Jewellery designing house Export house, Fashion house or Self-employment
* Freelance designing

If you join an export house, you can see your new designs in the international market. Most of the students start their own business by setting up a production house.

They sell their products under their own brand name. As a freelance designer, your job is to draw a design according to the specifications of the jeweller’s house. You also need to supervise the manufacturing of the jewellery by the craftsman of the jewellery house.

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