Diploma in Fine Jewellery 2022 - Your questions answered
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Are you looking to take your jewellery making skills to the next level? You can now enrol on to the Diploma in Fine Jewellery 2022, starting on 12th September. We recently held an online open day event to go through the course and to answer your questions. Watch the replay now and see the answers to the questions asked on the day.
Watch the open day replay
Did you miss the Open Day or want to watch it again?
You can do so using this link
Your questions answered
What skill level do i need to be at to take this course?
I am new jewellery making but I would love to learn about Fine Jewellery. Do you think that would be better do the Diploma in Silver beforehand?
If you are just starting then we suggest the Diploma in Silver Jewellery, you can learn more about that here - Diploma in Silver Jewellery
I have some experience in jewellery making, which Diploma should I do?
As this is a follow on course to the Diploma in Silver Jewellery, However, if there are only a few gaps in your knowledge then we would still encourage you to take the Fine Diploma. Take a look at the curriculum for the Silver Diploma and if you can do around 80% of it confidently, we would be happy to have you on the Fine Diploma.
If you still aren’t sure which is the correct Diploma for you, you can book a Discovery Call with Mireille who can talk you through each of them and help you decide. We want you to get the most out of the course so want to make sure it’s the right option for you.
Book a Discovery Call
Do you have to have worked with gold before?
It is recommended to have some experience of working with gold and there are projects where we will specifically want to see the project created in gold. The students who have already done the Diploma in Silver Jewellery have already had a bit of experience creating wedding rings and stacking rings using gold. As above, if you are experienced in most jewellery making techniques covered in the Diploma in Silver Jewellery then don’t let this be the thing that holds you back!
Do you need to have done any wax carving work before?
You don’t need to have worked in wax before enrolling but we do strongly advise you do these two free wax courses in preparation for the wax part of the course in January 2023
https://learn.jewellersacademy.com/p/make-a-wax-carved-ring
https://jewelleryschoolonline.teachable.com/p/wax-signet-ring/
Is this a Level 2 Diploma?
The Diploma in Silver Jewellery is the first course, the Diploma in Fine Jewellery is the second level. You can go straight to the Fine Diploma if you have the skills required.
Course Content and Online Learning
Is there a way to see what a lesson looks like before committing to the full course?
Take a look at this free course to give you an idea of what the weekly courses are like:
What happens if you have holidays booked during the term time?
The course is split into terms that follow the same pattern as the school terms (in the UK). If, however, you are away on holiday/for work etc each term is flexible and you can plan your time to catch up on pieces when you are back. There is also workbench time scheduled into the course to allow you to catch up or finish off any projects. There is an additional two weeks at the end of terms 1 and 2 and an additional 4 weeks at the end of term 3 which is built into the course for this reason. (There are 4 weeks after term 3 as you have an additional final project to complete).
You get lifetime access to all the Diploma courses so once they are released you will continue to be able to watch them.
To help you plan, you can find the course dates here - Diploma in Fine Jewellery Course Dates
Is all the course material released at the start of the course, or is it released as you go along?
The course content is released weekly, each Monday you will receive an email with a summary of the material and the content will be available on the course portal for you. You get lifetime access so once each week is published you will have ongoing access.
Enrolment and Payment Plans
I want to sign up for a payment plan, when would payments start?
Payments start immediately and go out on the same date every month.
Do the monthly payments stay the same?
If you are paying in GBP then there is no fluctuation. If you are outside of the UK then the monthly payment can fluctuate with the exchange rate so it can go up and down
Are we able to change our payment card after the first payment?
Yes, you can do that in your account. Login, click manage my subscription
I’m not in the UK, how do the payments work with the exchange rate?
The monthly payments will fluctuate slightly with exchange rate fluctuations and can go down as well as up. If you want to start a monthly payment programme and then pay it off in full when the exchange rate is in your favour you can do this by getting in touch with us contact@jewellersacademy.com
Tools and Materials
I make my jewellery from home, do I need access to a workshop? Do I need to gain work experience?
Most of our students work from home. We would like you to have access to basic tools e.g. saw, file. soldering, pickle etc. and be confident in using them. We would like you to be confident in creating a range of pieces, soldering pieces with multiple joins and creating and setting stones (bezel, tube, collet) You don't need to gain work experience for this course.
I would like to source my own materials, is there a list available?
Yes! We have a spreadsheet with all of the items and links to buy them if you prefer to buy them yourself. We also have a list of worldwide suppliers available.
Do you provide discount codes for Cooksongold and other suppliers for sourcing the required materials?
We have a discount program available for our Diploma students which covers several suppliers.
What happens if your materials don’t arrive in time?
We plan to ship them well in advance to ensure that you receive them. If there are any issues with shipping, do get in touch with us on warehouse@jewellersacademy.com and we can advise you further.
Is the shipping costs and import duties included in the course price?
Yes, international shipping and tax costs are covered by us.
(This may change in future years, we have committed to covering this cost for International students in 2022)
Which countries can you ship the materials to?
We ship worldwide with the exception of India, Greece and the Falkland Islands. We can offer guidance for students living in these countries to help source their own materials. You can find details of the tools and materials required here >
We have a list of international suppliers here https://www.jewellersacademy.com/jewellery-supplies
You can also book a discovery call with Mireille who orders all of our tools and materials for the kits and who can advise you further - book a call here
Mentors and Course Support
I am currently on the Diploma in Silver Jewellery, will I have the same mentor for both courses?
We have different teams of mentors for each Diploma course so you may not have the same mentor. We do believe in learning from as many jewellers as possible so it is good to be mentored by different jewellers.
What is the ratio of staff to students?
Mentors are working jewellers so they choose how many students they can support each year. You get one to one support from your mentor in your termly sessions and in your marking and feedback session. We also have a staffed Facebook group available for questions throughout each week and live Q and A sessions.
Assessment
Is the Diploma recognised by other colleges or university? Or is it a standalone qualification?
This course is accredited by the Jewellers Academy. It is not associated with any other awarding body and there is a reason for that. We did look at different courses and mapping the content to national criteria but found that they were all very administration heavy, there were lots of written essays and work to do that we felt had nothing to do with being a successful jeweller. This course is all about helping you learn the skills you need to make and sell jewellery or to become a bench jeweller. We don’t care if you can write essays or not! And neither will your customers!
What level Diploma is it that is awarded if we are successful?
Your work on the Diploma is assessed and graded by your mentor. Students achieving 60% and above will be awarded certification in the Diploma.
Do we receive the pieces back after they have been marked?
Yes you do. We post them back to you after assessment and then you can wear them, gift them or sell them!
What if there is an emergency?
If we sign up, but something then happens or changes, and for some reason we can't then go on to do it, is it possible to postpone until the next year's one?
Remember that you get lifetime access to the course so if you find you’re not able to complete it in a year you don’t have to worry about losing access to the content.
We will always try to support our students in these situations. We would assess each situation on a cases by case basis and there would be options available to you depending on how you wish to proceed. The best thing to do in this situation is to email Anna on contact@jewellersacademy.com who will be able to advise you further.
Are you ready?
If you are ready to take your jewellery making to the next level and learn new, more advanced techniques - then this course is for you! Enrol today and take the first step towards developing yourself and your skills.
Still have questions?
If you have a question we haven’t covered or you would like further clarification before enrolling then do get in touch. You can email the team on contact@jewellersacademy.com
If you prefer to chat with us one to one then you can also book in for a Discovery Call with Mireille who will be happy to help. This is a no-obligation call. We’ve set these up in order to help you decide what is right for you