Jewelry Schools

Fred said,

Could someone please help me by sharing
about good schools and education opportunities
anywhere in the U.S.A. I am 18 years old.

Fred,

The June 96 issue of JCK (Jewelers Circular Keystone) magazine
has about 19 pages of jewelry schools in the US.It lists couse
name, length, class size & tuition as well as addresses & phone
#s. If you can’t find a copy, tell me what type of classes you’re
looking for & I’ll ship you some names & addresses. Also do you
want to do it correspondence or on site. Fo bench work on site is
probably best.

Dave

Hello,

I’d like to comment on my experiences at The Revere Academy of
Jewelry Arts I have taken several classes at Revere from 1986
through 1995, and am currently planning to attend future classes.
The experience of the Academy has had a greater impact on my
career as a jewelry artist than any other activity I’ve persued.
My work at the bench and my approach towards my career in general
were equally enhanced by the experience.

Prior to my fisrt class in San Fransisco I had been goldsmithing
for over a decade without the benefit of any formal training or
instruction, and the exposure to the both the professional
setting and the Faculty at Revere completely realigned my
artistic perspective.

The instruction comes from working professional artists in a
studio environment, which is reflective of the professional
training that Alan Revere experienced in Europe. The size and
intimacy of the classes insures adequate individual attention for
each participant. All of the Faculty that I’ve had experiences
with had insight into countless aspects and challenges of the
jewelry trade that working artists encounter and contend with
daily in their profession. I still feel that I’m welcome to call
on any of them if I have a question or need help or resource

Please give me the 5 best jewelry schools in US to attend Thank you in
advance Dan

Hi There, I can recomend the school at Paris, Texas. I am going to
attend this spring so I have current about it. Please
contact me off list if You want ROBB - Retired Old Baby Boomer -
@rlpowell

Dan, You will want to look into Blaine Lewis’ New Approach School for
Jewelers. http://www.newapproachschool.com/ Tell him Marc Williams
told you to call. Get his calender for next year from his web-site. I
think he has it updated, if not give him a call, his number is on the
web-site. Good luck Marc Williams http://marccogold.com/

First you have to tell us what kind of jewelry you are talking about.
Art jewelry, commercial jewelry or something in between. Schools
don’t try to be everything to everybody.

Also, and it probably goes without saying, the value of any school
can only be measured by how devoted and talented the individual
students and faculty members are and how likely it is that you would
be able to attend certain schools.

For example, I went to a school that taught commercial jewelry repair
and focused on casting and wax work as the primary form of
manufacturing. Looking back there were many schools that would have
been better, but this one was convenient and the desire of the
student population was high. Most of the students who went there
were spending their own money, not money from parents or
scholarships. The demands of the students on teachers were high as
were their expectations. And since no school can teach you
everything, you have to weigh how much you want versus
how much you want to get out there and start working. I chose less
formal and more experience at the bench. I think there
are a lot of people whose creative force is stifled more by too much
rote training and not enough seat of the pants trial by fire.

I would have loved to go to Rhode Island School of Design or Fashion
Institute of Technology. But I would have been saving my money so
long to get there that I would have put myself at a serious
disadvantage. With so many programs by great teachers in various
workshops all over the country, you can get precisely the knowledge
you want and need to supplement your knowledge.

Larry Seiger

I can speak from experience that Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts is
WONDERFUL! I think Alan Revere is just about the best teacher around
and he hand picks the very best instructors. He has lots of patients
and is a very kind person. His web site is:
http://www.revereacademy.com/ The Academy is located in San Francisco.
Good luck to you!

Susie Morgan
Elegant Metal Creations

Certainly one of the best is the Revere Academy in San Francisco. I
have taken both workshops and classes there and have had good
experiences every time. http://www.revereacademy.com

Jim

jbin@well.com
James Binnion Metal Arts
4701 San Leandro St #18
Oakland, CA 94601
510-533-5108

Dan, I dont know much about other schools nationwide, but I attended
the Revere Academy in San Francisco last summer. You can take separate
classes depending on what you need to learn, or you can take the 2
month JT intensive class, which is what I did. There’s one in May and
June, and I think the other one is November and December. The classes
are pretty small (15- 20 people), and I learned a whole lot. There are
more advanced classes but you have to take them separately. I am
local, but all the people from out of town found relatively cheap
housing. (I say relatively because the SF area is pretty expensive.) I
had a great time, and plan to take more classes once I get out of
college.The website is www.revereacademy.com Hope this was helpful.

Amy McKee

Dan, Jim Stewarts International School for Jewelers in Jupiter
Florida has been around for nearly 30 years.1000’s of students from
all over the world have graduated from this state regulated and
licensed school. Check out Mr. Stewarts web site at
StewartsIntlSchool.com or E-mail him at
Jewelschl@aol.com.

Please give me the 5 best jewelry schools in US to attend
Thank you in advance Dan

Dan, I highly recommend the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San
Francisco. They offer comprehensive classes and complete programs
covering all aspects of professional jewelry making. I have been
taking classes there since 1986, and my experiences with Alan and the
other professionals who teach with him have provided the single most
profound and beneficial impact on my career as a jewelry artist. Check
out their website at http://www.revereacademy.com.

Michael David Sturlin, jewelry artist @Michael_David_Sturli

Michael Sturlin Studio, Scottsdale Arizona USA

Dan - as someone else has written, a lot depends on the approach you
want to take with jewelry. Some schools are slanted more toward
commercial interests while others have a more artistic approach.
Probably the best all round, as far as I’m concerned, is the Revere
Academy in San Francisco. They offer JA bench certification,
California education diplomas, and intensive classes for speedy
learning. All of the instructors are master craftsmen, including Alan
Revere himself. Check the academy’s website at:
www.revereacademy.com Here is other on reaching the
academy: 760 Market St, Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94102 (415)
391-4179 Alan Revere’s books and videos are the best and a “must” in
everyone’s reference library! Good luck on your search - Gini in
Florida

I couldn’t speak highly enough of Stewart’s International in Neptune,
Florida. Mr. Stewart and his staff are excellent teachers. The
school offers three one week courses (last time I was there) One in
repair, one in stone setting, and one in casting. These are
intensive one week courses (so if you are working, it is the best way
to do it) My father and I both took Mr. Stewart’s classes, and it’s
intensive and small, and I think one of the best school’s out there.
Mr. Stewart and his staff know their business and are good at it!!!
-julia

I started taking classes in NYC at the Jewelry Arts Institute which
was formally the Kulicke Stark Acedemy. However, I live in New
Jersey and the commuting was geting to me. Fortunately, I found out
that Robert Kulicke’s daughter, Fredricka ( “Freddie”), was teaching
classes in her home studio in New Jersey. I’m now enrolled there.
Freddie is a wonderful instructor. She specializes in ancient
jewlery techniques such as granulation and chain making. She teaches
on a weekly basis but also offers week long intensives. I highly
reccomend her. She can be emailed at fbk@nac.net. She also has two
web sights. Good Luck.

I wanted to add another jewelry school to the list. In Carmichael,
California (near Sacramento, CA) there is also the California
Institute of Jewelry Training their web site is:
http://www.jewelrytraining.com/ They been around for over years and
are going through an incredible face lift and have highly trained
instructors.

I do have a slight connection with them I teach Beginning Cloisonne
Enameling workshops at the school. Next enameling workshop will be
February 19th through the 23rd, 2001. Since we are on the topic
thought I would get my plug in. Shameless in Willits, CA

Linda Crawford
Linda Crawford Designs
Willits, CA
http://www.lindacrawforddesigns.com

Has anyone in the group gone to Conner School? It is in Indiana but,
very near Louisville, Ky. I would like to hear some comments on
their agressive 1 week programs in goldsmithing.

tx,
Regis

At the same time I’ve been looking for small steel boxes that I used
to use to make granules in bulk. They were available from diamond
dealers suppliers but they seem to have disappeared from the
marketplace. I’ve used rolling tobacco tins (even pipe tobacco tins
will work) but they contaminate the kiln with iron oxides. Anyone got
any ideas.

Tony Konrath
Gold and Stone
tony@goldandstone.com

I also would have to recommend the Revere Academy. I cannot say much
about other schools, but I am a recent graduate of the Revere Academy,
and I have been very pleased with everything concerning the school. I
am a “younger” jeweler, and hope to make something of my self, I am
certain the Revere Academy was an excellent choice to get going on my
career. I had many different teachers, all professionals, I think
this allows you to get a better perspective, as any question can be
answered with many different opinions. Feel free to email me
directly, if you have any questions regarding my personal experience
at the Revere Academy. Hope this helps! Joel Retzlaff Liquid Jewelry
www.liquidjewelry.com

I would also like to recommend Fredricka Kulicke - School for Jewelry
Art. Fredricka “Freddie” Kulicke is a marvelous teacher. She gives
individualized attention and instruction to all of her students and
has a great teaching style. She specializes in classical jewelry
making techniques - granulation, chain making, and also cloisonn�
enameling. She is an expert in her knowledge and teaching ability.
Not to mention being an all-around wonderful lady. Can you tell I
like her? I have learned so much from her, and simply cannot say
enough good things about her.

The web address for the Freddie’s school is
www.kulickejewelryschool.com and the address to see her beautiful
jewelry is www.fredrickakulicke.com. There are links on both
addresses to get from one to the other.

Claire Oelkers in New Jersey, USA, on a bright, sunny day!

Hello Regis,

Yes, I attended the Conner Jeweler’s Institute in Georgetown,
Indiana. I took three classes there in 1998, “Jewelry Repair and
Stone Setting” levels 1 and 2, and “Wax Modeling and Casting”. In
1999 I returned to take “Advanced Stone Setting”.

Charles Conner owns and teaches the school which is located in the
basement of his residential home. The house is a ranch style with
rear doors at the same level as the finished basement. It’s rather
large with the studio where he teaches and a spacious lounge with
chairs, sofa and a large screen television. The basement also has a
kitchen, bath and two bedrooms for students who wish to stay on the
site for the classes. He moved there in 1997 and the facilities were
constructed at that time so they are fairly new.

The classes are small in size, anywhere from two to eight students.
All work is done in gold and we even constructed a ring in platinum.
Casting is done in both gold and silver. He takes the time to
explain the principles and logic behind what you are doing. For an
actual project, Charles first describes what you will be doing using
a blackboard and your textbook. Then you view the project from start
to finish on a video tape. After the tape, you gather around Charles
as he actually does the project and explains as he goes along.
Finally, you do it yourself following the step by step instructions
in your text book. He is always available to help you or explain and
demonstrate again personally.

Charles Conner owned his own jewelry repair business at one time and
was commissioned to design and make a brooch of the State of New York
that was given to Hillary Clinton. He has been working at the bench
for over thirty-six years. He is very helpful and easy to interact
with. I enjoyed the time at the school and was sad to see it end.

I’m located in Cincinnati, so the school is only about 120 miles away
for me. If you decide to attend, I found that the best place to stay
is at the Baymont motel (formerly called Budgetel) in Corydon,
Indiana, about ten miles away from the school. The ten miles are
easy driving on county roads with little traffic. The motel is very
reasonable and they supply a free breakfast. It’s clean with indoor
corridors and it only cost about $46.00 a night in 1999. There are
also plenty of other restaurants near by the motel.