Top 8 Jewelry Design Schools
When you want to build a career in the jewelry industry, you must learn in the appropriate facilities that equip the proper materials. In addition to these, you should receive training from professional and highly experienced knowledgeable instructors to get the right understanding of the techniques.
So, where you get your training as a jewelry designer is a crucial choice that you must take after rigorous pondering. To help you ease the task of finding the right school, this article discusses some of the best jewelry design schools in the United States.
Best Schools for Jewelry Design
Fully-equipped campuses, cooperative student clubs, and effective mentoring initiatives are just a few of the features that you should look for in the best school for jewelry design. Below is a list of the top schools for learning the necessary skills to start your career in the jewelry design industry.
1. New York Jewelry Design Institute
New York Jewelry Design Institute (NYJDI) offers a range of courses for students who want to pursue a career in jewelry design. The school will help you gain new skills to launch a career in the jewelry-making industry. You can either make a change of career, begin your jewelry line, or work in the industry as a jewelry designer after graduating from the program.
Students have the choice to take the courses in private class mode or in groups. Some of the courses offered include Business of Jewelry Design, Illustrator for Jewelry Designers, Rapid Rendering, Wax Carving & Casting, Domestic, and Global Jewelry Manufacturing, Photography for Jewelry Designers, Building Your Jewelry Collection, and many more.
The school uses modern programming methods to teach the foundational and in-depth aspects of jewelry design. The courses include a broad curriculum taught by knowledgeable on-campus professors that offer one-on-one instruction. The school’s innovative courses lead to successful careers, and guidance is accessible to students at every stage of the courses. The NYJDI professional studies adhere to ABCs (Art, Business, and CAD) of Jewelry Design which are key concepts that are crucial for success in the gem, jewelry, and luxury watch industries.
2. Jewelryclassdc
Jewelryclassdc offers jewelry and metal design classes for students who want to begin their journey in the jewelry industry or advance their skills. The courses teach metal design and jewelry production under the direction of a professional. You will also create a minimum of four sterling silver projects in a fully furnished studio. The school offers three main programs, including Metals I, Metals II, and Metals III, along with workshops and extended private lessons.
Students in Metals I are taught the fundamental skills of metalsmithing, including hammering, sawing, forging, filing, bezel-setting, texturing, soldering, and polishing. While improving their forging and stone-setting techniques, Metals II students develop their designs. Advanced soldering techniques, flush setting, and the manufacture of hollow rings are also discussed in Metals II.
The school offers programs for extended study and private teaching at all levels. In process-focused seminars, Metal III students study advanced fabrication and stone setting. A complete set of industry-standard metal smithing equipment, including the graver set, flex shaft, and Benchmate system, are available at every student workstation.
3. American School of Jewelry
Located in Sunrise, Florida, the American School of Jewelry helps students gain the ability to make jewelry professionally. Classes offered are brief, engaging, and practical and are created by a skilled Certified Master Jeweler. The class sizes are kept small to ensure that each student receives enough individualized attention during the learning process.
The courses offered include Jewelry I Intro, Jewelry Design I Intro, Wax Design and Casting, Stone Setting I, Stone Setting II, ASJ Cert Bench Jeweler, Grillz, Cuban Link Chain, Diamond Grading, Computer-Aided Design, ASJ Cert Jeweler Design, and ASJ Cert Master Jeweler. Students learn all the essential techniques that jewelers regularly employ.
Students get the opportunity to work hands-on on multiple projects from the industry, which are planned by experienced jewelers. The programs are designed by seasoned jewelers to ensure high quality. The program length ranges from 2 days to one year. Depending on the program of your choice and its duration, the cost of the program ranges from $795 to $45,000.
4. Miami Jewelry School
The Miami Jewelry School offers diploma and non-diploma courses. The non-diploma courses include wax modeling and casting, introduction to platinum, jewelry technician, stone setting, and introduction to MatrixGold. Program fees for non-diploma courses range from $1,500 to $6,000.
Diploma students learn the fundamental technical abilities needed to create, produce, maintain, repair, remodel, and sketch jewelry. They also learn how to make jewelry using a variety of techniques utilizing metal, wax, rubber molds, and gemstones. In addition, stone and diamond setting techniques, along with an introduction to modern technologies, including laser welding, Matrixgold® 3D jewelry creation, and 3D printing, are also taught in the program.
The total cost of the program, including the tuition fee $10,250. The school offers monthly payment plans to eligible students. In addition, students can avail of veteran benefits and vocational rehabilitation. The Miami Jewelry School is registered under the Florida Department of Education.
5. Academy of Art University School of Jewelry & Metal Arts
Academy of Art University School of Jewelry & Metal Arts offers AA, BFA, MA, and MFA programs in Jewelry and Metal Arts. You will gain the knowledge, skills, and creative qualities that will define you as a designer. Before progressing to more complicated jewelry-making tasks, you master the fundamentals of fabrication and casting procedures in these programs.
The degree programs introduce you to a variety of design concepts and methods. To prepare you for a future in the jewelry and metal arts, you will also study modular casting, fabrication skills, and laser cutting processes. You may connect with working professionals in the field through the school’s events, workshops, and guest speakers by joining its insider network.
There is a dedicated shared studio space available for graduate students who are doing their final thesis or portfolio. You have access to a variety of tools, including formers, disc grinders, milling machines, lathes, and rollers. To prototype cutting-edge wearables and other novel physical interfaces, students may do a lot of physical form experimentation in the 3D printing lab.
6. College of The Albemarle (COA)
College of The Albemarle offers professional crafts degrees in jewelry, including a diploma and certificate. The program will teach you the jewelry design, metalsmithing, building, and marketing techniques required to forge your own distinctive aesthetic. After completing the program, you will be able to produce both original and mass-market items and establish a successful business based on your creative abilities.
The COA’s professional art gallery is located in the Professional Arts building, along with a jewelry workshop that has twelve student workbenches. They are fully furnished with the hand tools needed to make jewelry. In addition, a large studio is also available, equipped with a rolling mill, a bench shear, a hydraulic press, and a forming and raising area with a variety of hammers, stakes, and anvils.
Students can get to use the computer lab with rendering and 3D modeling tools like Flamingo and Rhinoceros that you may use to create rendered representations of your jewelry. The school also has a second and third studio with additional equipment that provides a comprehensive learning environment. The school offers convenient payment methods, including monthly payment plans and GI Bill benefits.
7. Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology offers BFA and MFA degrees in metals and jewelry design. Traditional metalworking methods to cutting-edge design technology are all things you are exposed to in the BFA program. As you learn basic and advanced metalworking techniques, the curriculum helps you to fully develop your creative side. The metals and jewelry design option focuses on design, aesthetics, material, and process mastery.
Assignments, projects, and group discussions for students all center on self-discovery. You get to conduct co-ops and internships with leading businesses across all industries during both programs. Through practical training, an art and design co-op enable you to use your creative skills in challenging work environments.
The MFA students learn casting, forging, soldering, stone setting, silversmithing, and manufacturing. Working with various ideas and materials allows you to expand your knowledge and expertise. The individualized and extensive financial aid program offered for students consists of loans, scholarships, grants, and work opportunities on campus.
8. Temple University Tyler Art + Architecture
Located in Philadelphia, Temple University offers BFA in metals/jewelry/CAD-CAM, BFA in metals/jewelry/CAD-CAM with entrepreneurial studies, and MFA in Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM. Students learn traditional jewelry-making techniques and cutting-edge digital practices through these programs.
Students also gain proficiency with a variety of materials, from metals and alloys to plastics. You get to work closely with faculty members who are also active artists and thought leaders in the field. They use this knowledge to design jewelry and other items that highlight beauty, utility, individuality, innovation, and aesthetic experience.
Students at Tyler MJCC engage with the local and national metal community by finding internships and making use of faculty connections. Jewelry creation, metalsmithing, and 3D printing take up about 6,000 square feet of the school. In this area, the school houses laser cutters, welding technologies, a fully equipped 3D printing lab, a computer lab, and 11 workspaces.
Winding Up
Before choosing the schools that best suit your needs, you must check whether they have all the equipment necessary to provide you with the right learning atmosphere. You should also decide whether you want to enroll in a certificate, diploma, bachelor’s, or master’s degree, as this will decide the cost of the program.