Level 3 Diploma in Jewellery Design (sample)

One Year Course

1 DAY EACH WEEK

OUTLINE

This 1 year Jewellery Diploma course is aimed at those wanting to learn jewellery making skills or those who want to develop a deeper understanding of their ideas and interests. The space we provide is one to be creative and experimental in, to discover and come to understand who you are as a designer - maker and understand what you offer and why.

Our approach to learning is very much based on helping each individual to discover their own interests, potential and passion in their work. This one-year Jewellery Diploma is the perfect platform for you to begin your career as a designer - maker. You will learn beginners to advanced jewellery making skills and technique that you can either apply to setting up your own practice or progress onto a level 4 diploma or higher education. Progression to higher education is made easy with our strong links with several jewellery degree courses in the UK and abroad.

The projects on this course become a platform for developing your creative abilities and analytical skills. We believe that jewellery school is a place to be experimental, innovative and take risks in your ideas and where anything is possible.

The strength of this course is the continuous peer discussion and evaluation that takes place throughout. Students are expected to keep a sketchbook documenting their ideas and a reflection journal tracking their own progress and development. Each term you will get two individual tutorials with your tutor to assess your progress on the course. At end of the course, we celebrate the work completed in an Exhibition held in a London location.

This three term course runs for one day each week for one year and will begin with projects covering the essential skills in jewellery making and key skills in research and ideas development.

COURSE CONTENT

Term 1 (12 weeks)

This term covers basic skills in piercing, soldering, hollow forms, links and chains.  A few weeks will be spent on each technique to promote deep learning. Running alongside studio based technical projects students develop their creative thinking and design skills through homework assignments each week.

Term 2 (12 weeks)

The second term projects cover skills and techniques in production and manufacturing jewellery. Techniques such as wax carving, casting, press forming, hinge making, tap and die and technical drawing skills will be covered and students will learn how to create pieces using these techniques.

Term 3 (12 weeks)

The third term will be independently led where you will be expected to present a project proposal at the start of this term. Technical exercises will continue throughout this term and run alongside your independent project.

Students aim to create a collection of pieces that represent their ideas and technical skills to present at a public exhibition. Students have the opportunity to exhibit their final collection at New Designers, a graduate show held each year at the Business Designer Centre, Islington, London. Students have benefited greatly from this show and usually network with many potential customers, galleries and shops. This show tends to serve as a launch pad for the start of their jewellery career.