[Jewelry making - Article 00090] - Re: [Orchid] Definition of Master Jeweller

[Richard Hart]

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>     Jewelers of America does certify Master Jeweler. I believe it
>     involves written and performance tests and of course fees to be
>     paid. Upon graduating GIA Jewelery Manufacturing Arts one was
>     awarded "Certified Bench Technician"--I believe. I've advanced from
>     there, but haven't bothered to be certified. Honestly, no one
>     really has heard of it or if they have knows what it means. 

    I recently had 3 estimates to have a large tree trimmed. One of the
    estimates was from a certified aborist. He showed me his license, his
    proficiency tests and scores, and the continuing education courses to
    stay current. The other two did not show me anything, and their
    results were going to be completely different, as two were going to 
do
    what I wanted done, the certified arborist was going to do what was
    best for the tree. 

    Becoming JA certified is for your competency and proficiency. I
    assume welders must complete courses and meet criteria to receive
    certificates to prove they are competent. I assume they won't be
    hired for certain jobs if they have not received certificates.
    Welders can get jobs without certification, low pay for poor quality,
    with no chance for advancement. 

    "Jewelers" are the only group I know that can be hired from a bench
    test, with no requirements for any proof of any achievement for
    knowledge or proficiency. When I hire someone, it is with an
    expectation of an acceptable level of loss as the person learns what
    to do and what not to do. I only hope I can be aware of every 
possible
    mistake someone can make and do preemptive warning of what can happen
    to avoid more costly mistakes. I just had a new employee, trade
    school graduate, four years apprenticeship one day a week for another
    jeweler I know, over polish a channel setting, and ruined the piece,
    the channel had to be rebuilt at my expense. 

    There is a reason that starting pay for a jeweler is about $16 an
    hour. Proper education and higher standards would change that. But
    you don't have the time or money for that. And then you would have to
    make effort to find the job where your skills would be desired.
    Downward spiral, and mirrors the educational system in the U.S. That 
no
    no one has heard of it or knows what it means seems to indicate the
    lack of knowledge or proficiency that is acceptable. My experience is
    that the customer pays in the long run for poor quality work, custom
    and repair, and I see it all the time. There is more focus on certain
    areas of commerce where the customer has an expectation of the level
    of competency required for work done, and there is recourse = for 
work
    not done to that standard. 

    Medical, dental, and car repair have standards. Probably the area
    where I see gross negligence is in poor quality setting jobs. Gems
    fall out, or are broken by not having proper seats, or are damaged by
    chipping by the setter, not to mention the poorly finished prongs 
that
    catch on clothes, poor channel setting where there is not enough
    metal to hold the gems secure, the gems are too close together and
    overlapping,, loose, damaged, tilted. I educate every customer who
    has poor quality work from some other jeweler" what to look for in
    the future when they buy jewelry. I try to get them to hold the
    person responsible for the poor quality work to correct what is
    wrong. Many people do not want to go back and deal with the problem,
    they just want to pay me whatever I ask to correct it. 

    I can guarantee they won't have the problem again. I teach them to
    hold me accountable for my work. If you are not held responsible to
    meet the criteria of how to do it right, what standard are you
    meeting? If you try to learn out of a book, and your results do not
    look like the example in the book, but it went out the door, what
    level of competency are you held to? The work lasts a few months, or
    a few years, and something fails due to poor craftsmanship,, who
    loses? You got paid for what should have been done right, and now the
    customer pays twice, or considers the piece not worth fixing and
    junks it. 

    I was self taught. I made a lot of mistakes at my customers expense
    before I learned how to do craftsmanship that was beyond reproach. I
    am now able to tell my customer that my work would stand up under any
    jewelers scrutiny. And I stand behind any work, and would do any work
    necessary at no charge to correct any problem, for my mistake or
    anyone who did work for me. I rarely have had to do that. I have to
    completely remake a ring because one of my setters chipped a stone,
    and there is no way to correct the mistake without a complete remake.
    Customer would not have seen the problem, they could not see it when 
I
    showed them what was wrong. They had to use that ring on their trip
    to Australia, so I have to remake it when they return. 

Richard Hart
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