Online Certificate Programs in Jewelry Design & Repair

Most jewelry designers and repairers enjoy creative, rewarding, and fun careers. Working with metals and stones, making models or just repairing broken clasps, these professionals preserve family heirlooms and create new treasures. Whether in retail stores or a factory setting, jewelry and metal workers have a variety of venues where they can practice their craft. In order to properly work with precious materials, jewelry designers and repairers develop the expertise to handle, examine, and grade the quality of gems and metals; many individuals obtain these skills through online certificate programs for jewelry designers.

Many of the best jewelry repair certificate programs online can be completed in less than six months. Since so many jewelry students ultimately want to launch their own businesses, the best programs offer instruction in entrepreneurship in addition to fundamentals of design and material evaluation. Upon completion of the program, jewelry designers are able to work in both retail stores and manufacturing operations. According to BLS data, 39,800 people were employed as jewelry workers in 2014.

Vocational Certificate

Jewelry repairers and designers work in a variety of environments. Although many are found in traditional jewelry stores, others find work in luggage and leather shops. Still others work either in wholesale outlets or directly in manufacturing. Many specialize in metals and find work in silver manufacturing. In order to develop this expertise, many attend a jewelry design school online; for many of these institutions, the only requirements are a high school diploma (or equivalent) and a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

In a vocational certificate program, students learn how to remedy most jewelry problems. Coursework will cover repairing broken pieces, particularly clasps, re-setting stones and re-sizing rings. Students will learn how to solder pieces together and shape metal when creating a new piece, as well as polishing and smoothing techniques for metals and gems. Design is also usually included, and the best schools even have courses that cover computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM).

What's Next for Jewelry Design & Repair Certificate Holders?

People who put their jewelry repair and design vocational certificates to work are well compensated. According to the BLS, the median salary of a jewelry and metal workers earned a median salary of $36,870 in 2014; furthermore, many qualified jewelers were making in excess of $61,720 annually.