I did work there long enough to become a certified diamontologist...
I once heard this term mentioned in a Jared’s. What on earth is a
certified diamontologist, and who certifies them? It certainly isn’t
GIA, as they don’t even “certify” gemologists, nor do they claim to
have a “diamontology” program. I’m quite anxious to find out. Thank
you.
James S. Duncan, G.G.
James in SoFL
hi all
my turn
I work for sterling jewelers. The company that owns Jared. I have
worked in a Jared.
One jeweler would do all the easy jobs (sizing, and re-solders) while
the other two bench jewelers would do the harder jobs (stone setting,
etc).
I was the jeweler that did a lot if not all the hard jobs, that
being said I was the top biller in the shop most weeks. I billed out
more because I did the “hard” jobs well and fast. I can size a ring
in about 3 min. down and about 5 min. up. I can bill more doing
"harder" jobs.
It seemed that they were more concerned with numbers (who did the
most amount of jobs).
I now run a mall shop for sterling in one of there twelve chains, I
am a one man shop. I do on the average, between 200 and 400 jobs.(
that’s not hard for a talented jeweler) and I am my own boss. it has
been a tremendous challenge dealing with the sales people and
learning how best to run a business.
I receive a fair wage and bonus as well as reasonably priced health
benefits and other benefits too numerous to mention. And I also get
some of the best training in the industry as well as an all expense
paid trip to Disney for one week to get that excellent training. one
day is for me to play, rest of the time I stay in a five star resort
and eat there five star food and network with fellow managers.
The jewelry is all mass produced and some are not produced well, so
you’ll see the Same pieces come in all the time!
I’ve worked a verity of jobs. The work is the same were ever you go
now thanks to Hong Kong and India. so that’s not the issue, and the
people can vary greatly from one shop to another.
But working for a smaller store might be more ideal.
Sterling offers a chance for advancement to what ever level you have
desire and ability for. You wont get that at every Mom and pop or
other smaller chain.
that Jared was the hardest and most stressful bench job she had ever
taken!
As with any 500 company the level of demand and responsibility is
high for management if that’s too much for someone then their just
not cut out for that type of challenge and should not be a manager.
There’s still a place for them if they are competent and want to do
a good job. One more thing if they want to relocate we have shops in
almost every state in the country.
Now I haven’t been following all of this thread so if I’m stepping
on some ones toes I apologize in advance.
But that’s my two and a halve cents U.S. worth.
Robert L. Martin
goldsmith/platinumsmith
diamond setter
since 1976
I once heard this term mentioned in a Jared's. What on earth is a certified diamontologist, and who certifies them? It certainly isn't GIA, as they don't even "certify" gemologists, nor do they claim to have a "diamontology" program. I'm quite anxious to find out. Thank you.
I am certified by the Diamond Council of America. The diamontology
program is similar to that of GIA. It seems that retail stores are
more concerned about being DCA or GIA certified than artisan jewelers
(not so say that artisan jewelers don’t care. It just appears that
big retailers care more). The DCA program is more cheaper than the
GIA program, but GIA certified people are more sought after than DCA.
Rachael
PS-this is just based on my experience with big retailers. It could
be different in each city or state.
I worked as a goldsmith for Jared for about 2 years and would like
to add my 2 cents to this discussion based on my experience at the
company.
First I have to agree with the previous posts about the high
pressure environment that the jewelers at Jared work under. The
production system requires for the most part that the jewelers
produce at least 40 repairs per day ( this is the minimum, you are
encouraged to exceed this volume). In most cases the Jewelers are
also expected to professionally set almost any type and size diamond
either while the customer waited or within the day that the diamond
was sold. All custom jobs including waxes or fabricated pieces are
required to be done in a minimum amount of time depending on the
complexity of the job. In spite of this high pressure system, Jared
jewelers are held to a very high quality standard. Jobs usually go
through 2 or 3 quality control checks in the workshop and at least
one more check before they are presented to the customer.
In spite of the pressure that they were under, the jewelers that I
worked with were dedicated to maintaining a high level of
workmanship and professionalism. The ability to work at that pace
under that kind of pressure was not something that most of them
learned overnight. It takes a lot of practice patience and
endurance. I must say that while I was there I saw some pretty
amazing feats by some pretty amazing jewelers.
Considering the dedication and professionalism of the staff there
were certain aspects of the company’s practices when it came to the
jewelers that seem to me to be counterproductive. This may have
changed since I worked for the company but at that time there was a
distinct difference in the way that the jewelry repair staff was
treated when compared to the sales staff.
Here are a few things that I noticed:
Even at the entry level, salary and incentive for sales staff was
higher compared to that for entry level jewelers and all sales staff
members got incentives and bonuses based on their personal
performance and the store’s performance. There were no bonus
incentives or any other type of extra compensation for the jewelers
except of course for management. This would mean that even if a
jeweler was involved in helping a staff member make a sale by for
example creating and rendering designs, the jeweler received no
compensation other than their normal salary. Even though there were
many times that the enthusiastic cooperation of the jewelry repair
and design staff was crucial to the success of scheduled sales
promotions, the jewelry repair staff would never receive more than a
hearty handshake and a pat on the back ( and sometimes not even
that).
For the most part the jewelers were viewed as subordinate to any
sales staff member no matter what the experience level of that sales
person or the experience level of the jeweler ( I personally think
this may have something to do with the mistaken notion that your
brain stops working if you work with your hands). You don’t know
what humiliation is until you have been told how to do your job by
someone who has two whole months of jewelry experience under thier
belt and who’s last job may have been working at the candy counter
at Wal-Mart. There were times it seemed that the workshop as a whole
was treated as just another sales tool.
In spite of these observations I would recommend the experience to
any jeweler who wanted to increase their work speed and develop a
thick skin and a little humility in the process.
Ted Curtis
I find it interesting that this thread started as a request for
on entry level bench positions in the Chicago area and
ended up being a praising (few)/bashing (many) session of
Jared/Sterling jewelry shop employment. I think I’ll go ahead and add
yet another little twist to the direction this thread is going.
My business has dropped off so badly over the past 3 years (I have a
mostly retail repair operation within a retail store, independent,
well, sort of, of the retail operation). There are many factors to
blame in the drop off, but that should be the subject of other
threads. I am limited to 40 hours per week by the simple fact that I
don’t have the keys and that is all the hours the store is open. I
feel that I could, and should, do much better if I could find a
better venue. I, too, have considered the option of moving away from
self employment toward a job that has a decent salary and some much
needed benefits. I, too, have discussed the possibilities with the
folks at Jared. I had already decided that it wasn’t a good career
or personal move for me before this thread started. It has, however,
made me realize that it was a good decision for me to NOT pursue that
avenue, no matter the benefits package. If I were relegated to the
hourly bench staff, the highest wage they might offer (after the
obligitory bench test & interviews, of course) was barely better than
the income I am griping about now, and I would have to work an extra
8-18 hours per week to do it. Plus, I would have to work in a
pressure cooker environment, seemingly working for unrealistic
expectations, and for little or no encouragement or incentive. The
only good thing there was an affordable medical package. I would
also be required to relinquish ANY & ALL outside interests in the
jewelry industry. Understandable on one level, unacceptable on
another. And, with that many hours per week dedicated to the company,
I would have little or no time left to find other income
opportunities, or, more importantly, to be involved in my family’s
lives and passions. I would be little more than the source of income,
and not all that great an income, to boot.
Another post offers a supervisory shop position for a manufacturer.
Responsibilities seem to include everything from overseeing the work
of several other bench people, doing some bench work, quality
control, keeping everything running smoothly & on time, ordering
materials… In short, being a one man band. The hourly rates
offered in this post were, in my estimation, pitiful for the
responsibility and experience required to successfully fill these
shoes. Sorry if I offend anyone, but the best rate they offer in this
posting is only about 75% of what I am making now. If the wages I am
seeing are ‘customary’ in this industry, it is no wonder that nobody
wants to do this anymore.
From another source, a shop owner in TN laments that he has built a
fancy new shop and cannot find anyone competent to staff it. What are
you offering for a wage and benefit package? He didn’t address that
in the column where I saw this. From my own experiences, I have seen
it too often, through too many employers and a couple of self
employed situations. If you are at the top of your game and in the
rare right situation, you can make good money at repair and
special/custom order work. If you are only in the better than average
category, you may do OK, but you’ll work long hours doing the
impossible for the unappreciative (both the management and the
customers are guilty of that). And, they want it yesterday, and
don’t want to pay decently for the work.
As I said, the why and wherefore of business being down, public
attitude, etc., is fodder for many threads. In this one, I will close
by observing that we can look at many jobs out there in this country
and see a common denominator. Most of the least appreciated jobs,
like teaching, law enforcement, firefighting, nursing, and many
others (seemingly to include jewelers, watchmakers and other
‘non-essential’ trades) draw the lowest salaries, least benefits and
poorest level of esteem. It seems that the public demands that these
people be highly qualified, dedicated to their trade and willing to
work long hours to maintain their skills and perform their duties,
yet they would like not to have to pay dearly for those services. I
know I will draw some heavy fire for some of these comments, but I
sincerely believe that we have to turn around our thinking as
consumers before the situation will change. We have both nurses and
teachers in fair quantity in our family, so I have seen this lack of
appreciation in those fields. We have been volunteer firefighters
and have seen the trouble getting any respect from the public in that
job.
Ok, Ok, enough of my rant. Just getting frustrated trying to make a
living, I guess, and still looking at many options for making it
better.
I had an opportunity to interview for a Sterling shop in my area but
the word on the street was, that it wasn’t a great place for a bench
jeweler to work. I heard this from two separate jewelers who didn’t
know each other. They stated the pay wasn’t that great and the stress
level too high! Its one thing to work hard at Christmas or
periodically through the year but to do this every day is not healthy
and often leads to burnout. If that is what I could expect from any
employer, I would rather do something else. I did the high stress,
self employed, bench jeweler thing for about 20 years straight and it
nearly killed me. Twenty hour days were not uncommon, not to mention
the constant juggling of quality control, high risk, production speed
and pricing. I must say, it wasn’t worth it, from a financial point
of view!!! Not that I can’t find good things to say about working
this way but it is dysfunctional, in my opinion. Yes, you can learn
alot quickly and you can become a better jeweler, plus you can have
no life and not see much of your family, if you manage to keep one.
Or your health can take a dive…hopefully these working conditions
exist when one is young and you can take it. In short…been there,
done that!
If I have to work this way for another company or myself, in order
to make a profit or a decent living I’d rather quit and do something
else. Its time the whole industry got with the times concerning wages
and working conditions but I don’t think it will happen due to the
availability of cheap manufacturing labor and the cheapening of
jewelry in general. The guild stores and high end craftsmen will
always have the best work and pay because pricing isn’t as much of a
barrier. If you are smart, you’ll eventually take this approach and
forget the high volume, high stress, work environment, at least when
you begin to approach fourty or so. Ever wonder why there are fewer
and fewer skilled craftsmen left in the field? I often wonder if the
management of some of these companies realize what they are doing to
their domestic labor pool.
charles
Robert,
You have worked through the ranks and made a great achievement - the
envy of many, but somehow I am reminded of an ancient saying: “Give
me ten slaves and I will do the job myself”.
Regards, Alastair
It seems that the public demands that these people be highly qualified, dedicated to their trade and willing to work long hours to maintain their skills and perform their duties, yet they would like not to have to pay dearly for those services. I know I will draw some heavy fire for some of these comments, but I sincerely believe that we have to turn around our thinking as consumers before the situation will change.
Well said, Jim! The problem seems to be that as consumers, the public
has come to expect to pay the lowest price possible for every
purchase they make. This applies to everything from groceries to
clothing to electronics. The bigger manufacturers are flocking to
overseas production, and the smaller manufacturer is left trying to
compete, often by cutting costs of production, such as salaries and
benefits. There are plenty of new immigrants who are very skilled,
and willing to work for wages that are in reality, barely minimal. As
middle class Americans find their disposable income being squeezed
from all directions, and their desires to sustain the appearance of
affluence remain to be fulfilled, the lowest price point has become
the most important consideration.
This is really short sighted, because the long term sustainability
isn’t there. If I can’t earn a reasonable wage, how can I afford to
pay my bills, drive my car, and put food on the table? Health
insurance becomes a luxury, the cost of any crisis becomes an
overwhelming burden of debt, the standard of living decreases
further, the possibility of saving for retirement becomes an
unfulfilled hope. In the meantime, the upper few are reaping in
obscene amounts of salary and benefits, given what they actually
produce. Yet, in the name of globalization, we’ve all jumped onto the
bandwagon, because that is the future. (and they are the only ones
left who can afford to be our customers.)
The times are changing now in ways that are a social upheaval
similar to the early days of the industrial revolution. The workers
are exploited, and are drones for the corporation. I had some
experience working in a trade shop that did work for one of the
Sterling outfits. Their product was cheaply produced, and hard to
repair. The shop couldn’t even tighten a diamond (if you can call it
that!) without returning the piece for their inspection and okay,
prior to the tightening. They would often just return the item to the
customer (who assumed the tightening was just another charge they
were unwilling to pay), and when the stone fell out, it was returned
to the shop with complaints about the shoddy workmanship, and the
shop was expected to replace the stone and do all of the necessary
repairs at no charge to the store. On top of that, they would
manipulate payments to the shop, withholding payment for work
already done for one reason or another, in order to make their bottom
line look better to corporate. The shop was left trying to pay their
bench workers, buy supplies and keep the lights on while spending
much management time attempting to get payment and appease creditors.
The workers put in many long hours, paid by the shop, but often
without sizing stock or findings, and having to make due with what
was on hand to complete the work. That meant trying to find enough
clean scrap to melt down and roll out a bit of wire or sizing stock,
taking time away from that number of repairs needing attention that
day. On a day to day basis, it becomes too overwhelming to be
sustainable. There were no benefits, a paycheck that would
occasionally bounce, and a tremendous amount of stress. I did learn
alot about making do at the bench, but after one year and one
Christmas season, I knew I couldn’t sustain the pace or take the
pressure. No wonder younger workers have such disdain towards repair
work, when the reality is that repairs are an invaluable resource
for learning and experience. The cycle begins again with inexperience
workers being exploited in sweatshop conditions, until they’ve
gained enough knowledge to move up or they move on to another field.
There will be more inexperienced workers to take their place, and the
quality of workmanship and the knowledge base begins to deteriorate.
It’s justified by corporate, claiming lack of quality to justify
paying less.
I didn’t mean to turn this into a rant, but I don’t see any changes
coming soon, either. I have 25 years at the bench, and a nice little
niche freelancing hand engraving and custom work. The best job offer
I can get locally is $14/ hr. (and only part-time). This adds some
cash flow to my free lance work, and the environment is no pressure,
but it certainly isn’t taking advantage of my skills or creativity.
You aren’t alone in your predicament. We need to have some sort of
consciousness raising on the part of the American consumer, or
outright revolution against the promoters of global, corporate
greed. The effect of globalization is to reduce our standard of
living towards the third-world level of our competition, and line the
pockets of those who export the jobs.
Melissa Veres, Engraver
Sterling owns some very “big box” jewelry stores, including Jared
and Kay, as well as some regional brands, like J.B. Robinson, Marks &
Morgan, Belden Jewelers and Weisfield Jewelers. According to the May
issue of Modern Jeweler, they are the US’s number one retailer at
the moment, increasing their sales by 12.1 percent to $2.3 billion in
the fiscal year ending Jan 28, 2006. This is at the expense of the
former jewelry earnings leader, Zales, whose annual sales fell to $2
billion, down from $2.3 billion in 2005.
Kay is Sterling’s top brand, and they are tops in the US with sales
of $1.3 billion, whereas Jared’s was a mere $534 million. Sterling
sees more store potential for all of its brands, so they are planning
on expanding their current 781 Kay stores to 1,400. They expect to
broaden their 330 mall stores to 550 through store openings and
acquisitions in order to do national television advertising. They
plan to run their Jared numbers from 110 stores to 225.
They’re not going to do that by giving out big pay or instituting
higher quality assurance programs.
James S. Duncan, G.G.
James in SoFL
They're not going to do that by giving out big pay or instituting higher quality assurance programs.
That’s good news, really, for those of us who will provide quality
and service, the real indicators of value. We get to create a niche
market aimed at those customers that we can educate by presenting the
alternative: “you get what you pay for”. This has to be done with
subtlety, of course. But when it comes to jewelry, some people prefer
their money well spent. And by the way, if these companies misuse
their personnel, they’ll get the jewelers they deserve; the ones who
are just there for the paycheck.
David L. Huffman
Hello Tusif,
I noticed your post for a cad designer position. Are you still looking for work and if so, can you do cads from your location? We are always looking for qualified designers; if you wish to email some of your cad designs, we may be interested. The only part time opening we currently have in our store now is for a bench jeweler/diamond setter.
Regards,
Steve Reaver
248-645-9200
248-DIAMOND
Steve@ReaverDiamond.com