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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will train you to master the skills of
jewelry designing and jewelry repairs. You will also be trained in basic
gemology and diamond grading, as well as general jewelry retail and wholesale
store operations, costing and appraisal. You will practice extensively jewelry
designing by using metal fabrication and lost wax techniques while completing a
large combination of projects. In addition to the hands-on work, students must
complete extensive book work. All jewelry designs and restorations in the last
section of this program will be created in 14K gold and Platinum.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM
Introduction to precious metals
Platinum, Gold and Silver, Karat and Colors of
Gold and Alloys.
Raising and lowering the Karat of metals.
Melting and preparing
metals
Exercises to melt and prepare metals. Rolling and
milling metals. Torch adjustment. Oxidizing vs. reducing flames. Creating an
ingot. Learn to make plates and wires in different shapes. Tempering and
annealing.
Hands-on projects:
All projects must be completed within a
prescribed time frame.
Wedding Band:
Making of a wedding band starting with raw
metals.
Chain Making:
Make all the links, assembly, solder and finish a
handmade chain
Bracelet Making:
Make all the links, assembly, solder and finish a
handmade bracelet
Ring Sizing:
Practice of ring sizing single and multiple. Size
enlargement. Size reduction. Stretching machine and compression.
Diamond Ring:
After creating a handmade ring, pre finish and
attach a finding to create a solitaire diamond ring.
Basic Stone Setting:
Completion of basic stone setting exercises in
order to understand the planning of jewelry models that hold stones. Prongs.
Channel. Pave. Read Full Description
Advanced Stone Setting:
As the basic techniques are practiced, new and
more complex layouts and stone setting tasks are introduced and
practiced.
Read Full Description
Lost wax and casting:
you will be guided to create models starting with
an idea and progressing into your own
design. Read Full
Description
Bezel design for
cabochon stone: Planning, design, setting and
finish
Pendant:
Practice the sweat soldering technique by
creating a custom designed pendant.
Plates and Nameplates:
Two basic piercing projects will be completed and
followed by several different nameplates including bold lettering and script
nameplates. The piercing of plates will be practiced repeatedly in order to
improve cutting skills.
Wire Bracelet:
This exercise will improve the handling of the
torch and flame in soldering multiple jump rings which the student create and
form into a flower bracelet design.
Filigree Design:
In order to develop a sense for creativity, the
student will choose his/her own design and learn to work a filigree design with
multiple solder points.
Basket Settings:
The student will practice making wire settings
for different size stones: round and fancy shape designs will be covered such as
oval, marquise and emerald shapes.
Custom ring:
custom made ring by first building a basket
setting and adding a hand made shank.
A Jour Ring:
Performance of the cutting of decorative shapes
in the underside of a ring.
Ring with prongs:
Starting with raw metal, a ring will be created
and prongs cut into the ring to accommodate multiple stones, resulting in a
custom designed ring.
Locket:
By making shapes for perfect fitting, adding
decorator’s designs on the front, and properly placing a hinge system, the
student will learn to create a pill box and a locket. Bail and closure will be
designed by the student.
Monogram:
Design and pierce a script lettering designed
monogram.
ID Bracelet:
creation of a fully finished identification
bracelet starting from
scratch.
Different exercises are included in this ID
bracelet. You will make a curve link chain, a hidden lock with figure 8’s, an ID
plate with a cutout name and tubing hinges.
Filigree Brooch:
from drawing and performing an old-fashioned
brooch with fine gallery detail and pin stem system and bail installed.
Hollow Dome Earrings:
this exercise will prepare the student for
working with hollow pieces. Soldering spring loaded mechanical systems.
Link Bracelet:
construction of a bracelet with hinged links.
Planning, design, assembly and finish
Hollow Bezel Ring:
construction of a hollow ring. After constructing
the ring the student will add custom patterned designs.
Coin Frame:
perform an exact fitting frame for a coin,
placement of prongs.
Free Form Ring with
Multiple Settings: finishing of pre-made freeform
ring and soldering of multiple settings, setting of the stones.
Two Tone Ring:
Theory and practice for the successful design of
two different color of gold. Planning, design and finishing of a two-tone ring.
Tiffany Setting with
Peg: After the finishing process of a solitaire
mounting, attach tiffany style setting into a ring. Stone setting and finishing.
Scaling Down of an
Object: Recreation of a live piece by reducing
the size of an object in scale. Planning and full assembly.
Mixing of metals with
alloys and pricing: pricing of metals will be
explained in detail and practiced throughout the whole course. Explanation in
detail of karat and colors of gold. Alloys. Reducing and increasing the karat of
gold.
Findings and tools:
Findings, tools and other supplies and suppliers
related to the jewelry industry will be introduced to the student.
Polishing:
All finished pieces will then be taken through
polishing procedures.
Caution exercised during the polishing procedures
for certain pieces.
Practice of polishing includes lapping, and the
use of Tripoli and rouge.
Cleaning:
Ultrasonic, steam, electro cleaning, bombing and
stripping. All techniques explained and most practiced.
Plating:
Plating will be demonstrated using solutions in
an immersion bath by the use of a rectifier. Gold plating, rhodium plating,
copper and nickel plating techniques explained. Hands on demonstration.
Finishing:
finishing touches: florentine, satin, sand
blasted, hammer finish, laser and diamond cut finishes.
Platinum:
Special tools and personal protection. Preventing
metal contamination.
Handling of platinum scrap and filings. Melting. Soldering, brazing and welding.
The platinum group of metals. Stone safety. Properties of solders.
Soldering gold to platinum, solders you can and cannot use.
Metal stress relief and sequence of finishing. Setting stones in platinum, and
why it is considered a dead metal. Finishing techniques. The marking laws.
Fabricate and size a platinum band with no visible lines in the joints.
Soldering of platinum findings. Platinum stone setting.
Stone Setting
additional projects
Additional practice of stone setting (50
projects)
These projects are practical exercises of all setting styles performed during
the prescribed diamond setting and gem stone setting classes.
Custom making jewelry
starting from a blue print
Many of the pieces handled in this segment must
be created by the student.
Jewelry Repairs
additional projects
Additional practice of jewelry work, repairs,
assembling and finishing ring sizing with increasing degrees of difficulty.
Replacement and repair of hinges and locks.
Stone matching and
replacing
Picking the right color, cut and size for the
job.
Platinumsmithing
Additional practice of platinum related work.
Ring sizing, design and construction.
Identification of a
minimum of 100 stones
Additional practice of gem stone identification
and diamond grading hands-on
Interactive sales training with hands-on costing and appraising
Store operation. Costs. Suppliers. Resources.
Organizations.
Note: Not all projects the student creates in
this program are for the student to keep. |
