The reason they want you to supply your own tools is,that makes you self employed. You pay your own taxes, SS, health insurance, accident insurance etc, etc, etc.
Yes, as it should be.
Sounds like it could be useful to some, to hear, I guess.
1. At what age did you begin working/training as a jeweler/metalsmith?
19
2. Did you attend a college art school? If 'yes', was jewelry/metalsmithing your major?
Yes, no. The instructor told me I might make something of myself if I
ever learned how to design. What a joke that was.
3. Did you attend a jewelry trade school? If yes, how long was the program?
No
4. Did you have on-the -job training or an apprenticeship? If 'yes', was it before, after or instead of training at a school? How long?
On the job but not apprenticeship
5. Are you self-taught?
Not in the real sense, no
6. Have you attended adult education workshops, non-degree classes, seminars, etc.
No, never
7. Describe your career in the most recent five years. Are you a business owner, employee, teacher, independent contractor, wanna-be?
Business owner
8. Has your jewelry/metalsmithing work been full-time or part-time in the most recent five years?
Full time since age 19
9. How many years has jewelry/metalsmithing been your primary active vocation?
40
1. At what age did you begin working/training as a jeweler/metalsmith?
21
2. Did you attend a college art school? If 'yes', was jewelry/metalsmithing your major?
Yes. No, majored in beer and dropped out.
3. Did you attend a jewelry trade school? If yes, how long was the program?
I took a high school adult ed night class to try to figure out why
the castings at the company I was hired at, and put in charge of
(the casting department) was having consistently porous castings.
(FYI, the class offered no clues, I eventually discovered the answer
when I called Kerr…my investment was too watery.)
4. Did you have on-the -job training or an apprenticeship? If 'yes', was it before, after or instead of training at a school? How long?
Yes. I started there at 21 as their “caster and finisher” having no
skills whatsoever. I stayed there for 18 years.
5. Are you self-taught?
I’m self-learned.
6. Have you attended adult education workshops, non-degree classes, seminars, etc.
Yes.
7. Describe your career in the most recent five years. Are you a business owner, employee, teacher, independent contractor, wanna-be?
Business owner, wholesale to-the-trade benchman & computer
repairman, wanna-be lottery winner and seat warmer, smoker of cigars
and drinker of adult beverages in some foreign land.
8. Has your jewelry/metalsmithing work been full-time or part-time in the most recent five years?
Yes. 16+ hour days.
9. How many years has jewelry/metalsmithing been your primary active vocation?
Seems like about a thousand. (34)
1. At what age did you begin working/training as a jeweler/metalsmith?
- I got turned on in high school. I dropped out two months after I
started and went to the University of Oregon to study metals at the
prompting of my High School Metals teacher.
2. Did you attend a college art school? If 'yes', was jewelry/metalsmithing your major?
Yes but just for 2-1/2 years before I dropped out.
3. Did you attend a jewelry trade school? If yes, how long was the program?
No. However my Jewelry and Metals Prof Max Nixon did and was a
professional jeweler and hand engraver before he taught at the U of
O.
4. Did you have on-the -job training or an apprenticeship? If 'yes', was it before, after or instead of training at a school? How long?
Yes. I served a formal 5 year apprenticship in the now defunct local
Jewelers Union after my studies.
5. Are you self-taught?
I learn something new every day
6. Have you attended adult education workshops, non-degree classes, seminars, etc.
Mostly just the ones I have taught. Also the MJSA conference that is
held here in Portland Or.
7. Describe your career in the most recent five years. Are you a business owner, employee, teacher, independent contractor, wanna-be?
I am a business owner, teacher, and independent contractor.
8. Has your jewelry/metalsmithing work been full-time or part-time in the most recent five years?
Full time, I wish it were part time.
9. How many years has jewelry/metalsmithing been your primary active vocation?
From the minute I had the tools in my hand I started selling my work.
About 42 years.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both college metals programs and jewelry trade schools.
That was a great post. Earlier I had said that the people I had hired
out of university metals programs had to be trained in the most basic
bench skills. What I didn’t say, but should have, was that didn’t
mean that the 4 years they spent at school was without value.
They were exposed to and learned things that can’t be easily
measured. They had a broader world view than the people who just
jumped right into work.
They also had deeper well of experience to draw on when they were
faced with challenging work. The only thing I was saying was that
they were often disappointed when they sat down at their bench on the
first day of their new job after graduating, only to find that their
skills placed them at an entry level bench person. It didn’t meet the
expectations they had developed while in school.
Mark
... be happy to work piece-meal at the cheapest possible rates with no benefits. Because they are already jobbing everything out to a family of immigrants working long hours for peanuts. Yup, your competition.
I work for peanuts because peanuts are better than nothing, and I
ain’t no immigrant!
1. At what age did you begin working/training as a jeweler/metalsmith?
13
2. Did you attend a college art school? If 'yes', was jewelry/metalsmithing your major?
yes, yes. BFA 1980, MFA 1982
3. Did you attend a jewelry trade school? If yes, how long was the program?
one week at New Approach School, very recently.
4. Did you have on-the -job training or an apprenticeship? If 'yes', was it before, after or instead of training at a school? How long?
15 month job right out of school.
5. Are you self-taught?
I taught myself a lot before I went to college.
6. Have you attended adult education workshops, non-degree classes, seminars, etc.
Yes
7. Describe your career in the most recent five years. Are you a business owner, employee, teacher, independent contractor, wanna-be?
Business owner.
8. Has your jewelry/metalsmithing work been full-time or part-time in the most recent five years?
Full time with 5 employees.
9. How many years has jewelry/metalsmithing been your primary active vocation?
Full time self-employed 29 years. Active as a student before that.
Been selling my work for 40+ years.
Stephen Walker
I started when I was 18 years old, I went door to door offering to
work for free. One jeweler took me up on the offer. I worked for free
for 2 years full time. After 2 years I was put on piece work, I
earned minimum wage barely. I did custom work no repairs, lots of wax
carving and casting. I was not able to go on my own till I had 10
years of full time work under my belt. I worked for several stores
prior to going on my own. I did mid level type jewelery the first 10
years nothing over 10 grand, lots of wedding sets. I went on my own
and had my own line of jewelery on consignment in stores around the
US. I did gold and platinum pieces and they sold well I earned about
70 thousand a year for about 10 years then the economy crashed and I
had to get a job so I went to work for a high end store were the
average sale was about 20thousand dollars. I worked there for a
couple of years and my hands and back were toast from sitting at the
bench for nearly 20 years. I think the best way to learn is to do it,
you need hands on practice. I have seen a couple of people who went
to schools but I think it is a waste of money, watching someone do
something once or twice or even doing it yourself once or twice is
not going to get you to the level you need to be at to earn a living.
On the job training is really the only way. I thought I was pretty
good after a couple of years but really I stunk I just didnt know it.
After 10 years I was competent, by the time I had 20 years under my
belt I was nearly 40 and my eyes were shot and I had carpal tunnel so
bad I could no longer work, and I had breathed so much dust from
years of polishing that I cough like a smoker. I make tools for
jewelers now, silversmithing stakes and presses, as well as some
other stuff like saws and jump ring cutters. I still make jewelery
but I no longer charge money I do it for free as long as they pay for
materials. I just finished a platinum and diamond hand engraved ring
it came out great and I didnt make a dime so it was fun and relaxing.
If you really want to be a goldsmith it is a great job but you wont
earn much until the end. It takes so much work to get good that by
the time you are your hands are worn out. I didnt see to many full
time bench jewelers older than 50. PS I didnt get a job with health
insurance till I was nearly 40, so if a retirement plan and health
insurance matter to you dont go into the jewelery business.
If you really want to be a goldsmith it is a great job but you wont earn much until the end. It takes so much work to get good that by the time you are your hands are worn out. I didnt see to many full time bench jewelers older than 50. PS I didnt get a job with health insurance till I was nearly 40, so if a retirement plan and health insurance matter to you dont go into the jewelery business.
Thanks for telling your story.
I can absolutely see the truth in your statements Kevin, I’ve worked
for places with the same lack of benefits. And known really talented
bench jewelers who were scrapping by.
So, the poor college students reading this and their dreams are
being crushed – what is the way to success in this industry?
Elaine
CreativeTextureTools.com
It is easy to blame everything on immigrants and outsourcing to
other countries. And to quote the Dalai Lama, if you blame someone
else for all your problems, you will end up miserable. Right now in
Canada, some lobstermen are complaining that they cannot make money
at $4 a pound for their catch and compete with $3 a pound in Maine.
It’s all Maine’s fault. But their answer to the problem is more days
to fish. Is it the old “I lose money on every car I sell. How do I
stay in business? Volume!” story? So where’s the hitch in the
giddyup? Barbara on another hot day on the Island.
How many jewelers have taken years off the bench and went back to a
trade school to regain skills and speed?
Little Wise One Reborn
So, the poor college students reading this and their dreams are being crushed -- what is the way to success in this industry?
You have to be really good at the work, get along with people, be
organized, be willing to work very hard and be entrepreneurial. The
people who succeed have a good grasp of the business side of things
as well as the bench side. Even if they continue to work as an
employee, it’s the person who see’s the big picture and understands
how all of the pieces of the business work together who can figure
out how to make themselves more valuable.
I’m sure I’ve been lucky in my life and career. And I’m a fan and
admirer of Kevin. I’m sure his experience is real, but I just do not
share his view of the jewelery business. I think that the business is
filled with opportunities and that with talent, lots of hard work and
a little luck, things can work out great for a maker of jewelry. I’ve
been working as a goldsmith for 34 years, 10 years as an employee and
24 self employed. I raised 3 sons with my wife, she stayed home when
they were growing up, I’ve always owned a home, had health insurance,
put the kids thru college, built up a business, sold it and started
another…All the time doing trade work, focused on primarily
custom. I can honestly say that in all those years I have never run
out of work, sometimes I wish I would. For me the “compromise” has
been to work on custom making what other people want instead of my
own line, you make what people want to buy, that part is simple.
Mark
It all depends on how many years you worked as a jeweler and how
many years you took off. I was a jeweler for 20 years did something
else for about 5 years and went back to the bench with little loss of
ability. Less speed but it came back fast. When I sat down at the
bench it was like seeing an old friend, actually my work was better
because I worked slower.
Bill Wismar
It is easy to blame everything on immigrants and outsourcing to other countries. And to quote the Dalai Lama, if you blame someone else for all your problems, you will end up miserable.
It’s not about blaming the foreign company, it’s not even about
blaming the company choosing to outsource.
The simple fact is that manpower is cheaper in Asian countries, this
is what attracts business, you can even demand a level of quality and
still come under a local rate.
I don’t think it’s a good thing, as far as local skill sets and
employment goes, but this practice exists and it’s here to stay.
How do you compete, and earn a living?
Simply don’t compete with them.
This means you either get on the band wagon, and make as much money
as you can before the design process becomes a common household
practice, or make high end products and get far less in the way of
sales.
Regards Charles A.
I for one did the whole route…the apprenticeship for 5 years,
worked in a retail store on the bench, became the manager of a shop
for a 17 store chain, owned my own trade shop and did work for 27
retail stores, taught the craft at GIA, was a product manager and
dept manager there. I found myself reinventing at the age of 60
wasn’t easy, but it had to happen after the huge layoff at GIA in
2008. I now own and operate The Jewelry CAD Institute as I found a
niche in the industry which was needed for this “newer” technology.
My advice to any young budding bench jeweler is realize this is a
passion and never stop learning this craft. You can only get better
from experience. As you get better ask for more compensation or move
on to another company who will pay you more. One thing for sure, if
you are good at what you do and you can do custom, fabricate, cast,
lost wax, cad…you can make a good living doing the manufacturing
side in this industry. Make your value go up by increasing your
knowledge in other parts of manufacture.
I had a polisher/plating tech that worked for me who I paid as much
as my best jeweler…why? Because he was the last stop before
delivery of the item, other than final inspection, and I impressed
upon him I wanted my jewelry repair/custom to go out like brand new
merchandise…he earned it.
So, the poor college students reading this and their dreams are being crushed -- what is the way to success in this industry?
There are a lot of different ways to define success, but the way to
financial success in the jewelry biz is not at the bench, it’s in
sales. Even those benchies that make it big get there because they
figure out how to create sales, not because they are so superior at
creating jewelry. It doesn’t need to be only jewelry sales, one can
sell books, lessons, tools, whatever, but no one’s ever gonna get
rich rolling out ingots, whether they forge them first or not.
This is because a benchie can only charge so much per hour, no
matter how good and/or fast they get, and can only work so many hours
a year. $80,000 a year is about max for the dedicated benchie and it
takes a heck of a lot of work not only to get there, but to stay
there. Sales on the other hand is not limited in this way. I can make
more money for my business in a two hour sales session than I can
make in a month at the bench.
So if one wants to create jewelry, that’s great. It’s a very
rewarding career in many ways but they must understand that it will
never bring great financial fortune on it’s own. As others have
pointed out, it takes at least a decade (usually closer to two) to
get to the pinnacle of success at the bench, and even then, paying
off a big college loan on a goldsmith’s salary is a daunting task and
it may end up haunting the individual for many, many years.
The bottom line is that if someone wants to pursue a career at the
bench, it’s probably wise to avoid getting into a lot of debt to
learn how to do it. Benchwork by itself just doesn’t pay enough to
justify the expense of a four year degree.
Dave Phelps
what is the way to success in this industry?
Master techniques that nobody else, or very few folks, can do. Think
skills that can’t be outsourced or done by a computer.
Decide who you want your audience to be and cater to their desires.
Never apologize for your prices.
Have fun and make lots of jewelry.
Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com
How many jewelers have taken years off the bench and went back to a
trade school to regain skills and speed? How many can afford to?
Roxy
Hi Roxy,
How many jewelers have taken years off the bench and went back to a trade school to regain skills and speed? How many can afford to?
If fortune planning and just plain bad luck conspire you can find
yourself in all sorts of places.
I was in IT for many years, I got retrenched, paid all my debts with
the payout package.
I decided to go full time in making knives blades and replicas,
however after achieving what I wanted to I wanted to improve, and so
decided to to take up a trade jewellery qualification.
The qualification requires three years, but only one day of
attendance per week. This doesn’t mean that time’s in abundance, the
course is very comprehensive and to do well requires many personal
hours of study.
I’m now in my last year of the course, this year I won an opal
jewellery competition, student category, but a wins a win 
The
trade competition is open internationally, so next year I have to do
something “really” special… but I digress.
I could have managed to do the same course, even if good/bad luck
hadn’t been an issue, I just would have found a way.
If you want this too, then you’ll find a way 
Kindest regards Charles A.
My advice to any young budding bench jeweler is realize this is apassion and never stop learning this craft. You can only get betterfrom experience.
Yes, Russ, and even more than that. The whole thing about
seminars… Let’s just say that I have a large base of skills.
Years ago I wanted to try mokume. I looked in some books, and they
said, “Well, you stack the metal, clamp it, heat it and then cut
through the layers and on and on.” The things about how to do it.
So, I sat down and did it. I didn’t get the very best results because
that takes practice and better tooling than I just through together,
but I got good results and made several pieces with it. That’s
because I already know how to stack metal, and clamp metal, and heat
it and cut it and roll it. I already know all of the things that are
the steps, it’s just a matter of arranging those steps into a
certain order that produces mokume. Same thing with enameling. I
acquired some 50 pounds of enamels and the paraphanalia that goes
with it. I told Jo-Ann that I was taking a week off of work,
essentially, and going to enamel school. I read a couple of books,
again, and just started firing. School, but at my own bench. Now,
sure, to be a dedicated enamelist takes practice and lots more than
just burning glass, but all I wanted was a familiarity, and I got it.
I just don’t need to pay someone to tell me how to sift powder or
apply gum. Again, I already know all of the individual steps, it’s
just a matter of arranging them into a certain order. The point being
that the more YOU know and the more skilled you become, you can do
that too…