IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOU ALREADY know that you want to make a career for yourself in the jewelry industry and may already have begun your life's work. In fact, some of the most famous jewelers working today began selling their work in high school. Unl... Read more

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOU ALREADY know that you want to make a career for yourself in the jewelry industry and may already have begun your life's work. In fact, some of the most famous jewelers working today began selling their work in high school. Unlike many other careers, being a jewelry designer and maker does not require a college education or any specialized degree, although there are industry certifications that can be very useful as you progress in your career, and the broad range of knowledge to be gained by attending college can be useful from both a creative and a business standpoint. Nevertheless, if the creative urge has hit you at an early age, and you discover that making beautiful things by hand is a source of satisfaction, becoming a jeweler could be the career for you. While you may be starting out on your own as a jewelry maker, it is important to understand that this is an industry with large-scale manufacturers, national wholesalers, and extensive retail chains, as well as individuals who handle their own sales in addition to being the creators of their work. As you continue to make and market your own jewelry, you may find it necessary to hold a regular job in the industry, even if it is simply your local jewelry retailer. You may need employment with an established jeweler or jewelry company just to support yourself. You may also want to do this for educational purposes in order to learn some specialized technique directly from a master craftsperson who works for a certain company. If you are making your own jewelry, whether exclusively or part time while working for another jeweler, you will want to market your work as effectively as possible. There are a great many outlets for the individual jeweler including crafts shops, flea markets and farmers markets, and Internet marketplaces. Crafts shops may be focused on artists who use materials from the local environment, such as a shop in a coastal town that features jewelry that is made with sea glass. Flea markets and farmers markets tend to be open on weekends, which is perfect if you are also holding down a job during regular business hours. Internet marketplaces are, of course, open 24/7 and you can upload images of your work and handle sales on your own schedule. Besides these outlets, there is nothing except a licensing fee that prevents you from setting up a pushcart with your work in any highly trafficked area such as a retail mall, or a downtown business neighborhood where lunchtime shoppers can take a few moments away from their other chores to browse through your collection. Being a designer and jewelry maker is not the only way to participate in the jewelry industry. Two important categories of jewelry industry professionals are gemologists and appraisers. Gemologists typically are called upon to certify the authenticity, quality, and characteristics of gemstones. Jewelry appraisers examine jewelry to determine the value of a particular item. Both of these professionals find work with jewelry companies or individual stores, appraisal firms, auction houses, pawnbrokers, and insurance companies. They may operate their own independent businesses as well. This new Careers Ebook contains a wealth of unbiased information about an occupational field, based on the latest national surveys. Careers Ebooks cover attractive and unattractive sides, opportunities, education necessary, personal qualifications required, earnings, descriptions of different job specialties, first person accounts by those in the field, and how to get started; including practical advice on what to do now. There are live links to schools and colleges, associations, periodicals and other sources of reliable information. Less