This provides students with skills necessary to seek employment in the retail environment as an intermediate level bench jeweler. Students taking the Bench Jeweler will be proficient in mainstream jewelry repair and stone setting skills using gold, silver and platinum. At the end of the eigth weeks, Students can finish the course with a certificates. This provides training for preparation for the first level of the national JA Certification. Certificate in Jewelry Designer 3rd Term 12 Week 12 Weeks-480 hours The Jewelry Designer program provides students with the Bench Jeweler plus an additional 4 weeks of advanced classes preparing students for JA Level 1. At the end of the twelve weeks, Students can finish the course with certificates from TSJ, and upon passing the Level l of the Jewelers of America exam, JA Certified Bench Technician. Class meets Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. With one hour break 1st Term Orientation - School and program requirements and policies. Shop Safety - Hazardous Materials regulations regarding usage, proper storage and disposal methods; Precautions of mixing various compounds, acids and solvents; Bench Tools, Equipment; Soldering & Welding, Air Quality, First Aid. Workstations Fundamentals-Hand/Power Bench Tools (identification, application and maintenance; Preparation and modification of specialized tools); Finishing Equipment; Cleaning Equipment; Bending & Shaping Equipment; Measuring Devices; Precious Metals-Annealing and Workbench. Metals & Metallurgy - Silver; Gold (discussion of properties and melting points); Identification; Weights, Measures & Conversions; Marking & Stamping. Gemstone Properties - Nomenclature (introduction to the most common precious and semi-precious Stones); Categories & Cuts; Characteristics; cleaning (basic guidelines for cleaning and working Around different gemstones); Precautions. Metal Working - Sawing & Filing; Rolling & Drawing (metal and wire); Bending and Forming (shanks); Sanding (preparation of surfaces including refinement of actual pieces; hand/power Sanding); Polishing (basic); Finishing & Texturing; Cleaning. Soldering - Silver; Gold; Solder Flow; Assemble & Disassembly. Sizing rings up and down dove-tail and butt joint. Soldering posts and setting stones on earrings. Stone Setting - Level One (Ovals/Rounds) Setting Types & Layouts (using measuring tools and proportional spacing); Setting and Unsetting Stones (instruction on the various cutting burs and tools needed; Technique precaution relating to gem characteristic); Bezel Setting; Flush Setting; Prong Setting (ovals and rounds); Bead Setting and Bright Cut Setting. Repair- Level One - Item Analysis (identifies material, list problems indications, identify previous solder joints, note piece condition, stone sensitivity, unset/set stones, proper packaging and handling methods); Prong Repair & Replacement (most common retipping and repronging technique, discussion of most efficient and/ or cost effective methods available); Ring Sizing (cutting method up/down, use of compression or other alternative methods, replacing full/half shanks) Chain Repairs (identification of chain styles and configuration, repair/soldering techniques, parts replacement); Pendants; Charms; Shanks. Trade Practices & Ethics - Security; Insurance; Customer Goods; Professionalism (communication Skills building) Memo; Pricing. 2nd Term Platinumsmithing - Metallurgy (platinum’s unique properties and how it affects repairs); Tools Workspace; Soldering & Welding; Ring Sizing; Finishing. Repair - Level Two - Soldering (earring backs, posts, bails and bracelet links); Ring Sizing (using various methods for ring mountings with stones); Chains (serpentine, cable, box, rope,herringbon, hollow) Prong Replacement (round, fancies, pegs); Pin Backs; Earrings. Installand size adjustable shank. Stone Setting - Level Two - Fancies (emerald, marquise, princess, pear cuts); Channel; Cluster; Prong; Pearls; Tube. Finishing - Gem Precautions (for a variety of mass finishing procedures); Production Finishing (tumbler and rotary; emphasis on maintaining details and sharp edges); Ultrasonic and steam pressured machine. Fabrication/Assembly - Sections; Heads (multi-head settings); Bezels; Shanks (including platinum heads to gold shanks); Solder rings together. Plating & Stripping - Sections; Rhodium; Gold; Masking (electroplating, proper uses of anodes and tips for masking items). 3rd Term (Certified Jewelry Designer only) Platinum Fabrication - Soldering fixtures; Sizing (fusion methods); Stone Protection (from intense Heat); Bi-Metal Attachment; Metal Inlay; Scrap Reclaiming; Plumb Platinum Solder; Burnishing Finishing. Advanced Stone Setting - Prong (setting techniques for more difficult prong sets); Princess Cut; Emerald Cut; Baquettes; Inlaid Channel; Bead Setting; Pave (tread setting); Advanced Pave; Tool Making; Graver Sharpening; Stone Precautions (emeralds, opals, tanzanite and tsavorite in regards to these more complex settings. Wax Carving Intensive - Design, Layout, Carving, Bezel Prong and Channel Work; Hollowing; Finishing and Repairing; Fabricating Carving Tools; Custom Projects in File-A-Wax; Product Introduction. Personal instruction by Renato L. Ronquillo, Master Goldsmith, with over 38 years in jewelry making, diamond setting, jewelry restoration and repair. Award winning jewelry designer and a JA Certified Master Bench Jeweler. Fees for Jewelry Designer Program The one week Basic Jewelry Making course is $895.00 The 4-week Jewelry Technician course is $3580.00 The 8- week Bench Jeweler course is $7,250.00 The 12- week Jeweler Designer course is $10.650.00 Class is limited |
Certificate in Jewelry Technician
1st Term 4-week
4 Weeks - 160 hours
Course Description:
This program is designed to provide hands on training for the students that walks in with no previous
experience in the jewelry business. After a very thorough four weeks of training, he/she will be able to
handle most every days jewelry repair tasks and basic jewelry fabrication at the average jewelry store.
Certificate in Bench Jeweler
2nd Term 8- Week
8 weeks - 320 hour
JEWELRY MAKING CLASS
& Metalsmithing