Graduate Jeweler Programme
The Graduate Jeweler diploma programme is a hands-on learning experience that prepares you for a career as a bench jeweller, and covers skills valuable for jewellery designers, CAD modellers and sales professionals. You will work with gemstones and precious metals, taking projects from castings to finished, set, and polished pieces.
What You'll Learn
- Use laser-welding technology for gold, silver and platinum
- Develop essential skills, including polishing, filing, texturing, sawing, fabrication and forging techniques, stone setting and general torch skills
- Set a variety of stone shapes, including princess-cut stones, in mounting styles such as channel setting, bezel setting and prong setting, in base metals, silver, white gold, yellow gold and platinum
- Perform the most common jewellery repairs, including sizing rings, replacing prongs, repairing broken chains and installing new settings
- Apply both textured and polished finishes to jewellery surfaces on a variety of metals
- Evaluate and improve workmanship using GIA Quality Assurance Benchmarks
Possible Career Paths
- Bench Jeweler
- Business Owner
- Custom Order Jeweller
- Jewellery Repair Technician
- Manufacturing Executive
- Jewellery Buyer
- Quality Assurance Specialist
- Stone Setter
Topics Covered
Here are some of the topics covered in the Graduate Jeweler programme.
REPAIR
Learn how to use tools to repair jewellery.
METALWORKING
Learn the basics of metal working: soldering, finishing and more.
CRAFTSMANSHIP
Develop skills for fabrication, custom order and repair.
QUALITY CONTROL
Learn how to spot manufacturing defects and what causes them.
STONE SETTING
Learn techniques for multiple stone setting shapes and styles.
Graduate Jeweler Tour Hands-On Bench Experience
The Best of Old and New
High-tech workstations meet old-world craftsmanship in the Graduate Jeweler diploma programme. Gain hands-on experience working with a variety of precious metals, including platinum.
What Makes it Special
Instructors with years of trade experience. Personalised attention. A workbench equipped with a high-speed micromotor, fixturing devices and soldering accessories. All of this is waiting for you in the Graduate Jeweler programme.
The QAB Revolution
Evaluate and improve your workmanship using GIA’s Quality Assurance Benchmarks (QAB) – which were created in partnership with leading manufacturers and design houses. Using them empowers you to evaluate your workmanship during the programme and all workmanship after graduation.
What’s in a Ring?
This one has a large precision-cut princess-cut centre stone and twelve small stones in a channel setting, and two bezel-set princess-cut stones. You’ll hone your craft by making beautiful pieces of fine jewellery.
Skills for Success
Get ready to practice essential skills in the Graduate Jeweler diploma programme – like using files and other tools to shape a ring during the stone setting process.
Halo Ring
The Halo ring is hot. Watch students take on the challenge by making them in 14K white and yellow gold.
Critique Your Work
Grab a loupe and evaluate your craftsmanship using GIA’s Quality Assurance Benchmarks. You’ll learn what makes well-made jewellery and continually grow as a bench professional.
Cutting-Edge Equipment
Buffing and polishing bring out the beauty of precious metals. You’ll get to practice these skills on the latest polishing machines.
Make Halo Rings
The Halo setting is one of the most popular choices for engagement rings. You’ll make the same piece with different alloys, like this two-tone ring with a 14K yellow band and a 14K white gold setting.
Use Laser Welders
Get ready to work under magnification, align the crosshairs with the area to be welded and then fire hundreds of “shots” to finish the job.
Princess Cut
It’s time to set princess cut stones in bezels, channels and “V” prong settings. Your instructor will be there to help. You’ll also receive step-by-step instructions in print and on a mobile device.
High-Tech Classrooms
Magnification of your work is essential for high-quality workmanship. Your classroom comes stocked with powerful optics so you can see the details in your pieces.
Laser Welding
If making jewellery is your passion, you will enjoy learning in the Graduate Jeweler programme. Skilled GIA instructors will teach you essential skills, including laser welding.
We’re Holding a Seat
Picture yourself here. It’s graduation and you’ve made a global network of friends and associates.
Five-Stone Ring
Test your skills by making a five-stone ring in 14K yellow gold. You’ll be working with three different stone setting styles and a variety of stone shapes, including trilliants.
Get Started
Offered at GIA World Headquarters and The Robert Mouawad Campus in Carlsbad, CA.
Study at the GIA School On campus, full-time learning
Immerse yourself in the world of gems and jewellery and earn your Graduate Jeweler diploma by studying at a GIA campus. This transformative programme opens up a world of opportunity.
Offered at the following campuses
