Career in Jewellery Designing
Introduction
What happens when you put together the creative skills of a designer, the
precision of a highly skilled artisan and knowledge of precious stones and
metals? Can you guess the profession we are talking about?
Here is
another hint. Earlier this profession was confined to only a select few but
highly skilled artisans and outsiders were not allowed to enter this business.
What’s more, the end product enthralled the royalty and the commoners alike.
They served various purposes: making items of personal adornment, status symbols
and indicators of the owner’s wealth and prosperity. You guessed it right. Yes,
we are talking about jewellery designing.
Jewellery designing,
manufacturing and trading has been an integral part of the human society since
five thousand years and more. And our country is no exception. In fact, our
country is world renowned for its jewellery and jewellery designs since ancient
times.
Earlier a few select families ran the business of jewellery
designing and jewellery making. Moreover, the technical knowledge associated
with this trait was kept a closely guarded secret and passed on from generation
to generation. However, all that has changed. The current boom experienced by
this industry has commercialised this art and opened new boundaries for job
seekers.
Jewellery today is more of a fashion statement or you can say a
reflection of who you are. In this context, different personalities and
different senses of style have revolutionised the traditional gold jewellery and
modernised it to the taste of the new era.
Now-a-days jewellery designing
as a career is flourishing like never before. This profession is not only
rewarding but also available for anyone who has a creative bend of mind. People
these days have become very image conscious and the want for jewellery is no
more a symbol of financial security but a trendy fashionable wear that can go
well with different occasions.
Step-by-Step
Jewellery designing is a creative art that combines knowledge of
conceptualising jewellery design and then manufacturing various jewellery
products. Many institutes in India offer long-term, short-term and even distance
learning programs in jewellery designing.
The study in this field
teaches you basic skills like stone cutting, engraving and polishing and testing
the quality of precious metals and gems. Special skills like electroplating,
metal colouring, anodising, enamelling and stone setting are also taught to
students of jewellery designing.
There are many jewellery designing
courses available all over India. For joining a diploma course, you have to
complete your graduation in any field and for short-term courses the minimum
qualification can either be class 10 or a 10 + 2. It is advisable to pursue a
program in jewellery design, BDes, from a renowned design school such as
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) or National Institute of Design
(NID).
After completing your bachelor’s degree in design, BDes, from a
recognised design school you should look for an internship with a renowned
jewellery house in India or abroad. Alternatively, you can do a master’s course
in designing also.
These courses will impart knowledge about different
types of stones, design themes, presentations, jewellery costing and jewellery
making. Some of the courses use computer aided programs for designing jewellery
and accessories. On the technical front, you get to learn the art of working
with precious metals, alloys and the mathematics that goes into the
manufacturing of flawless jewellery items.
In this way, students get to
learn both technical and aesthetic traits of jewellery designing. Once you
complete your course, you are a qualified designer who can make custom-made and
designer jewellery.
The successful completion of the course will open door for unlimited job
opportunities for aspiring jewellery designers due to the recent boom in the gem
and jewellery industry. Talented designers can even design and launch their own
range of exclusive jewellery.
Start Early
Diploma programs in jewellery designing are available in some of the leading
institutes in India. These courses are available after completing graduation in
any stream. However, a good grounding in creative arts is a plus
point.
Like many other creative fields, it is essential to have an
inbuilt creative frame of mind to move towards a career in designing
jewellery.
Is it the Right
Career for Me?
If you are a person with a fair sense of design and creative imagination and
have the skills to understand latest trends with sound technical knowledge, then
this is a right career option for you. You can learn everything else while
getting trained.
What would it Cost Me?
A one to two year study program can cost you anywhere around Rs 65,000 to Rs
1.80 lakh and short-term courses can cost you between Rs 15,000 to Rs
65,000.
Funding/Scholarship
Scholarships and financial aid is not available for these courses.
Job Prospects
The boom in the gems and jewellery industry has brought innumerable
employment opportunities for jewellery designers. After the successful
completion of your course, you can easily find vacancies in this industry. You
can also start your own freelance designing business or set up your own retail
and trading unit.
Pay Packet
Hot job opportunities and lucrative salaries make it just the perfect time to
consider jewellery designing as a career option. Pay packet of a jewellery
designer can differ depending on the education and experience.
For a
starter, you can expect salary to be around Rs 7000 to Rs 8000 per month. With
experience, it can increase from Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000 or more. Top-rated
designers can easily fetch salaries in excess of Rs 1 lakh a month.
If
you are working as a freelancer, then your earnings will completely depend upon
your creativity and your skills in marketing your work. Here there is no limit
for how much you can earn.
Demand and Supply
Jewellery designing is a growing sector of the Indian economy and it earns a
lot of foreign exchange for our country. Moreover, in India, people have become
more conscious about the jewellery they wear, it’s no more a mere investment but
a style statement and this has lead to a great demand for creative hands who can
design jewellery for different moods and occasions.
As a result, many
institutions have come up for jewellery designing to supply high-quality
professionals and to fulfil the unending demand for expert jewellery
designers.
Market Watch
Jewellery designing in India can be described as one the fastest growing
industrial segments. India is known as biggest consumer of gold as it consumes
20% of the world gold consumption with the revenue of $13 billion.
A new
breed of jewellery designers has emerged of late due to the rising market demand
for branded ornaments. Employment opportunities for the professionals are
enormous in this field as the Indian gems and jewellery industry provides 1.3
million jobs to people across the country. And what’s more exciting is the fact
the growth in this industry is expected to continue in the coming years.
International Focus
The global fashion industry welcomes professionally qualified jewellery
designers from across the world. There is a perpetual requirement of creative
minds that can create designer jewellery and other fashion accessories for
fashion shows and for fashion retailing.
With a good experience, you can
find a lucrative job in an international jewellery export house or a jewellery
designing firm.
Positives/Negatives
+ives
- The market demand in India for jewellery designers is so high that it seems
like an evergreen career path.
- Jewellery designing is a highly rewarding profession.
-ives
- Jobs vacancies for jewellery designers are usually not advertised therefore
you will have to put in a great deal of effort to get a foothold in this
industry.
- The initial cost of setting up your business is high.
Different Roles,
Different Names
As a jewellery designer you can specialise in any particular aspect of
jewellery designing. Following are different names given to varied
specialisations and their different roles:
- Jewellery designer or artist: A professional whose primary responsibility is
ideating new jewellery designs and then rendering or drawing those designs.
- Goldsmith: Expert in making any standard or traditional range of jewellery.
- Fashion jeweller: One who specialises in designing jewellery for the fashion
Industry.
- Manufacturer: Runs either a small unit or a mass production house. Markets
their own line of branded jewellery.
- Repair person: A professional who specialises in the art of mending various
jewellery products or accessories.
- Lapidary: An expert in setting of precious and semi-precious stones in
various jewellery products.
Top Companies
- Renowned jewellery brands such as Tanishq, Swarovski, Nakshatra, Gili
- Jewellery making and designing units
- Jewellery shops and showrooms
- Top notch goldsmiths
- Antique and art auction houses
Tips for Getting Hired
- Since vacancies in this field are not advertised, it is practical for a
designer to build a good network within the industry by attending trade fairs
and exhibitions.
- A strong portfolio is a vital factor in getting a job.
- Outstanding creativity, artistic mind and experience with a topping of a
good jewellery designing course can give you a head start in this industry.
- It is good if you have done an internship in a designing studio or assisted
a well known jewellery designer.
No comments:
Post a Comment