Jewelry Design is an intricate art form that combines creativity, craftsmanship, and an understanding of aesthetic principles. Whether creating a simple pendant or an elaborate tiara, jewelry designers use seven essential principles: balance, proportion, contrast, unity, movement, and emphasis. By learning and understanding these principles, jewelry artists can create designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and cohesive.
Jewelry designers use a combination of fashion and artistic sense, manual dexterity, computer skills, and CAD training to develop sketches, 3-D images, and product prototypes of jewelry pieces in a range of styles and types. In addition, many jewelry designers have some hands-on experience making jewelry, which is an important part of the creative process for them to understand how each piece is made and to visualize how it will look when completed.
To bring their ideas to life, jewelry designers often use 3D modeling software programs such as ZBrush or Mudbox to sculpt the model into a more realistic shape and work on details. These programs also allow jewelry designers to store multiple versions of the same model to compare different options and to make changes to the design without altering the physical object.
While the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a decrease in the number of jobs for jewelers and precious metal and stone workers through 2022, jewelry designers who have advanced or specialty training and who can offer custom jewelry designs to their clients can still expect to find employment opportunities. Many jewelry designers will choose to work for their own companies or as independent contractors, while others will work at jewelry stores, malls, or other retail locations.
A good jewelry designer must have a strong sense of style, an eye for detail, and excellent craftsmanship. In addition, they must have an understanding of the importance of the various gemstones used in their pieces, and they must be able to interpret traditional symbolism using modern materials and fabrication techniques. Jewelry designers who have a wide range of artistic influences are able to create unique, innovative jewelry pieces that capture the attention of prospective customers and buyers.
The Parisian duo behind Viltier combines modern design with traditional craftsmanship. Presley Oldham creates jewelry inspired by her heritage and the CFDA Fashion Fund award winner Almasika interprets global traditions through the timeless and universal language of adornment.
To become a successful jewelry designer, students must build a portfolio of their best work. The portfolio should include both a variety of sketches and renderings as well as photographs of finished jewelry pieces. Some colleges have students create an online portfolio while others encourage them to make a physical one, either of which can be valuable when seeking employment or business opportunities in the field of jewelery. In order to be most effective, a jewelry design portfolio should contain 10 to 15 pieces of finished jewelry. This will give hiring managers and potential clients a comprehensive overview of the design process and will showcase a student’s progress over time.
