Jewellery Designer and Maker

As a Jewellery Designer and Maker you conceive, sketch and craft original pieces of jewellery using materials such as gold, silver, platinum and precious or semi-precious stones. Your daily work at the bench involves cutting, shaping, soldering, setting stones and finishing pieces to a high standard, as well as repairing and adjusting existing items for clients. You may work to individual commissions, collaborate with galleries or craft shops, or design ranges for small-batch or mass production. In Ireland, many jewellery designers and makers are self-employed, selling through craft fairs, their own studios, online platforms or independent boutiques. You often work closely with clients to translate their ideas into wearable art, and your pieces may be submitted for hallmarking at the Assay Office of Ireland.

Leaving Certificate subjects such as Art, Craft and Design, Materials Technology (Wood) and Design and Communication Graphics provide a useful foundation. The most common entry route is a QQI Level 5 or Level 6 award in Jewellery Design and Fabrication offered by Colleges of Further Education through the ETB network; these courses cover bench skills, stone setting and design principles. Graduates may progress to a Level 7 or Level 8 degree in Craft, Applied Art or Goldsmithing at institutions such as NCAD, TU Dublin, ATU or IADT, where design concepts, art history and professional practice are developed further. Some practitioners build their skills entirely through apprentice-style on-the-job training in an established jewellery workshop, supplemented by short courses in specific techniques. No statutory registration body applies to this occupation, but affiliation with professional networks such as the Crafts Council of Ireland supports credibility and market access.