Find your path
How can middle and high school students find opportunities in the jewelry professions?
Possible paths
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CAP
Certificate of Professional Competence in Art and Jewelry Techniques
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BNMA
National Vocational Degree in Artistic Crafts
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No degree
Practicing the profession without a formal degree
Find a training program
Training programs are available as of 9th grade, as well as for high school graduates and professionals looking to change careers. Whether you are entering the job market or embarking on a new path, this interactive map will help you find a training program close to home.
FAQ
Our current job openings are listed on the “JOIN US” page.
Creation of a piece of jewelry is a collective process involving close collaboration among some ten different professions. Each profession requires specific skills, and each plays an essential role in the production process. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the main jewelry professions:
• Designer: Creative professional who imagines new creations and depicts the associated shapes and colors in a gouache rendering.
• Stone Expert: Craftsman specialized in the identification and selection of precious or ornamental stones.
• Model maker: Starting from sketches, model makers create three-dimensional mock-ups of creations to better study their volumes.
• 3D designer: Starting from sketches, these creative professionals design a digital model of jewelry pieces.
• Caster: Casters turn wax models of jewelry creations into fully formed gold pieces.
• Jeweler: Craftsman specialized in manufacturing jewelry pieces in precious metal, often adorned with stones.
• Gem setter: Gem setters adorn jewelry pieces with precious or ornamental stones.
• Lapidary: Craftsman specialized in cutting and polishing precious and ornamental stones.
• Diamond cutter: Specialist in the art of cutting diamonds and shaping rough stones to bring out their full radiance.
• Polisher: These craftsmen bring out the full radiance of jewelry creations through polishing procedures.
“de Mains en mains” is an initiative introduced and administered by the High Jewelry Maison Van Cleef & Arpels. This outreach program aspires to shine a light on jewelry professions and expose younger generations to the creative passion of craftsmen, through demonstrations of their work in the Savoir-Faire Pathway. The event, which takes place every year in Lyon, also includes a jewelry exhibition, as well as lectures and round tables.
Established in 2012 with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels, L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts aims to introduce the public to all aspects of jewelry culture through various activities: introductory courses, exhibitions, books, videos, podcasts, as well as online and in-person lectures. L’ÉCOLE lets participants discover the world of jewelry-making, but does not award diplomas.
L’ÉCOLE will travel to Lyon with a class offering for visitors. Students and jobseekers can enroll in weekday courses and lectures at a discounted rate, upon presentation of proof of status.
Our website features a wide variety of resources including podcasts, videos, job profiles, testimonials, as well as a map of training schools, for in-depth exploration of the jewelry professions.