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The Bench Jeweler
If you like working with your hands and are looking for something different and exciting to do with great earning potential, becoming a bench jeweler could be the right career choice for you.
Bench jewelers are good at making things and have an aptitude for tools and machines. They are also detail oriented and patient, as most jewelry work involves a series of small, careful steps. Many bench jewelers also have a strong interest in art and design and/or possess a handyman mentality. Other important attributes are good organizational and time-management skills.
Bench jewelers make and repair jewelry. Some work for jewelry retailers handling repairs (like fixing chains, sizing rings, and setting stones) and/or making custom designs. Others design their own jewelry or work for jewelry manufacturers. Still others specialize in particular areas of expertise, like Mold Making, Stone Setting, Hand Engraving, or Platinum Casting. And, some go on to start their own businesses, contracting work to manufacturers, designers, and retailers.
If you are contemplating a career as a bench jeweler, New Approach School for Jewelers is designed to give you the foundation you need to grow and be successful in this industry.
The New Approach Difference
Get prepared for JA Level II Certification* in as little as 12 weeks. Sound too good to be true? It's not. It is what we call the New Approach Difference.
Since 1996 NASJ has earned it's "boot-camp for jewelers" reputation by providing the most powerful methods for training both new and experienced bench jewelers. We are the industry leader employing the most advanced teaching technology. This allows us to do things radically different. We use live demonstrations magnified on video screens to help students see precisely what our instructors see. This visually intense teaching method enhances our instructors' ability to clearly communicate the most intricate details. This enables our students to quickly grasp and execute these techniques at a faster and more natural pace than other programs would allow.
The most advanced technology in the world is only as good as the one who uses it. It's our instructors that really make a difference. Blaine Lewis is widely recognized as the premier diamond setter and platinum-smithing instructor in the U.S. today. With over 17 years experience as a bench jeweler and over 1500 students, Blaine has devised innovative stone setting techniques for all types of settings as well as for use with fragile colored stones. Experts from all around the jewelry industry agree that these techniques are simpler, faster, cleaner and better.
The first eight weeks of the Graduate Bench Jeweler program, known as the Jewelry Technician, is based around a commercial bench "job box". Students will learn in an environment very similar to a working repair shop. They will be responsible for their materials and learn to work at an efficient pace. They will be taught core skills with expert guidance so that they may develop confidence, consistency, and speed through the repetition of fundamental techniques. Our graduates will then be proficient in the necessary skills needed to tackle a typical job box like sizing, re-tipping, general repairs, platinum, and a wide variety of stone setting styles. At the end of the first eight weeks our graduates will be prepared for testing at level one of the JA certification.
The last four weeks of the Graduate Bench Jeweler program offer additional advanced classes in Stone Setting, Wax Carving, Platinum Fabrication, and Casting & Rubber Mold Making. These allow our students to refine their skills, preparing them for JA Certification at level two and beyond.
*JA or Jewelers of America is the national trade association for jewelers. Through the JA Bench Jeweler Certification program, JA provides a national standard that rates the talents and proficiency of the bench jeweler. This is done through a series of tests at four levels. JA Certification gives the bench jeweler a method of instantly presenting their skill level to potential employers or customers.
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