What it takes to be a jeweller

By Lydia Limbe

Kenya: If you are creative, can work accurately with your hands, and would like to work with gemstones and metals, then a jewellery designer job would suit you well.

Jewellery designers plan the style and pattern of jewellery, silverware and other decorative metalwork products. In this job, you would need drawing and computer design skills. You would also need to work accurately and with high attention to detail.

Just like most arts, there aren’t any specific entry requirements for becoming a jewellery designer.  Your skills and experience can be more important than qualifications.

Kenyatta University, however, offers a Bachelor of Arts — Fine Arts programme, which has in introductory course in jewellery design.  To pursue this course, you need to achieve a KCSE Mean aggregate of 37.6. Aside from having to perform well in other subjects to amass the points needed for admission, you need to be good in arts. Studying Fine Art in High School would be an added advantage to you.

In Kenya, many jewellery designers choose to be self-employed; turning a variety of materials like brass and beads into jewelley through techniques like, mounting, setting and polishing. As a self-employed designer, you would also need to sell your work, either directly from your work studio, at craft fairs, or through shopping outlets and galleries. It’s worthwhile then to travel and attend trade fairs and exhibitions just to school yourself to the current market

In developed countries where the jewellery industry is advanced, a designer would usually work normal work hours. As a freelance designer/maker, though, you get decide your own hours depending on the amount of work you have.