National Association of Goldsmiths

How Did the National Association of Goldsmiths Influenced Metalsmith Society?

Jewellery has always been a symbol of status and wellness. It was the subject of desire and interest from millions of people at all times. Owning something rare and unique makes people feel special. This explains the vast interest in Royal jewellery as part of British history, thousands of articles about trends and fashion in new jewellery collections, and even interest from some investors.

The complex and unique combination of expensive metals, rare precious stones, the skill of the goldsmith, and his talent made some of it a piece of art. Nevertheless, the key components are not materials, but the mastery and virtuosity of jeweller. How to become a professional jeweller? Does it worth it and what is it like? Is it beneficial today and how does the industry develop? Let’s discover together. 

What to Expect If You Want to Be a Professional Jeweller?

3 key factors should define whether it is worth to join metalsmith society: passion, mind-set, and trends in the industry to check whether it is possible to comply with them. In case passion and mind-set are subjective feelings, the employment market of precious metals and jewellery is possible to analyse. 

The scheme of education for goldsmith doesn’t significantly differ in different countries as well as work conditions. Comparing two developed markets, British and Australian, the following average data is reliable to people occupied in jewellery (including sales persons):

It’s hard to underestimate the influence of associations on industry development. Taking complex measures to protect the market and consumers from fakes and poor quality is tightly connected with improving education and developing standards and regulations regarding professional requirements. As the result, qualified masters can join the associations as members to evidence their experience and high working standards, which positively influences their reputation and sales. Additionally, they can take advanced courses provided by these associations to continue to improve virtuosity and deliver the best quality of their products.

Becoming a Professional Jeweller

Imagining the profession of a jeweller the majority of us usually think about either a technician, who can fix the ring or bracelet or about designers, who create the art objects costing millions of dollars. In fact, jewellery business includes:

• Designers;
• Technicians;
• Gemmologists;
• Horologists;
• Valuators;
• Sales Representatives/Consultants;
• Others.

All these occupations require specific knowledge and certifications. Having only one specialization hardly makes its owner a great master, although can give a base to become a good specialist in the local sphere. Fame, success, and glory usually come to those, who continuously develop and have a combination of the following:

• Entrepreneurial vision and knowledge of how to promote products and services;
• Passion to design and create unusual elegant wearable forms that will fight the hearts of future consumers;
• A keen eye and a steady hand for shaping, cutting, hammering, linking, and another mastering;
• Sense of style and feel of fashion trends;
• Desire to improve skills, getting new experience, obtaining new technologies and knowledge.

These characteristics strengthen by powerful education (up to 10 years) and continuous improvement can make to stand out from other people occupied in jewellery. 

Education

When the decision to devote the professional life to precious metals and gems is made, the question is where to get the jewellery certification? Happily, there’re many options which may vary depending on the skills and background of the future jeweller. The major are the following:

Option 1 is to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the chosen specialization. The time required is 4 years on average. The knowledge obtained can be enough to start the practice, although it is always better to take additional practice courses from the leading professionals in this sphere. For example, the University of the Arts London (the UK) or the University of New South Wales are good places to get respective secondary education.

Option 2 is to finish different apprenticeships. There’re a lot of options to start a career in jewellery. You can choose between different scopes and start from trailblazer apprenticeships to learn a basic thing and choose the direction for development in the future. Usually, one course takes 2-3 years. For becoming a professional.

Option 3 is to research the market and choose the most attractive company to work in. Contact HR or P&O Department for consultancy of what are their requirements regarding the education and whether they have some internship programs and act accordingly. This allows to comply with current requirements on the employee market and get only valuable knowledge with a low risk to choose useless courses.

Associations: National Association of Goldsmiths & Jewellery, Jewellers Association of Australia

So why the National Association of Goldsmiths & Jewellery (the UK) is called treasure for jewellers? The answer is simple, it gives huge opportunities for development and growth. As the National Association of Goldsmiths & Jewellery mentions on its official site the main focus of its activity is done to education, which includes unique tutorials, seminars, and distant courses. Members must comply with the strict Code of Ethics, requirements to customer service, and production, which allows being the best on the markets. A similar aim is inherent to Jewellers Association of Australia.

Resume

Being a professional in every sphere is a huge work and effort. Happily, the majority of countries have specific associations, which assist in the main goals of their members and help to take the best places on the market.