Jewelry School | Full-Time Programs | North Bennet Street School

The two-year, comprehensive Jewelry Making & Repair program prepares students to become professionals in the industry. The program attracts students from around the world who share a love of materials, artistic expression, and working with their hands to make jewelry that transcends time.

Jewelry fabrication and stone setting requires exceptional hand skills, focus, and a thorough understanding of materials. Throughout your studies, you’ll continuously challenge yourself and fine-tune your skills. You’ll create and repair jewelry of lasting value using traditional techniques and modern technology.

You’ll work on increasingly complex projects to develop proficiency in using a full range of jeweler's hand-tools, identification of metals and stones, metal forming techniques, polishing, soldering, engraving, laser welding, wax model making, jewelry repair, advanced jewelry construction, stone setting, and silver, gold, and platinum fabrication.

Faculty

Ann Cahoon JM ’02

ANN CAHOON JM ’02

Ann has a BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry and Ceramics from the Maine College of Art and is a graduate of NBSS and the Department Head. She was a finalist in the gold and platinum category of the 2010 Saul Bell Awards. She works on one-of-a-kind and limited production jewelry as a principal goldsmith and designer at Flying Marquis Studio in Leominster, MA. Ann also writes, lectures, and judges for the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) and Jewelry Artist. She is the technical co-editor of the MJSA book Secret Shop Weapons, and is featured in an instructional DVD produced by Lapidary Journal.

Marei Dose JM ’18

Jewelry Making & Repair Teaching Assistant

Schedule

Tuition

Tuition & Costs

September 2021-July 2022 tuition is $25,000 per year totaling $50,000*, with the option of making 18 monthly payments of $2,778.
The estimated cost of hand tools is $1,900.
The estimated cost of materials is $3,000.
Palladium and platinum provided by the department's Metals Library.

* North Bennet Street School reserves the right to increase tuition in the second and subsequent years of a course. If the school does increase tuition for a course in subsequent years, that increase will not exceed 7.5% of the previous year’s tuition. Should the school exercise its right to increase tuition, the school must give the student a minimum of ninety (90) days written notice prior to the effective date of the increase and a new enrollment agreement will be executed.

How to Fund Your EducationFinancial aid, scholarships, and veterans benefits available for qualified students.

Careers

Graduates of the Jewelry Making & Repair program work as bench jewelers and designers for companies of all sizes, and are owners of custom jewelry shops.

Our graduates have held jobs such as:

Goldsmiths
Fashion jewelry designers
Fine jewelry designers
Design Directors for jewelry manufacturers
Retail jewelry store owners
Studio and gallery owners
Hand Engravers
Stone setters
Gold buyers

According to the Occupational Information Network (O*Net), job titles for jewelry makers include:

Precious metal workers: Silversmith, Caster, Goldsmith, Artist, Fabricator, Pewterer, Bench Mechanic, Restoration Silversmith, Platinum Smith,
Jewelers: Bench Jeweler, Jeweler, Goldsmith, Earrings Fabricator, Gemologist
Gem and Diamond Workers: Gemologist, Diamond Cutter, Lapidarist, Diamond Setter, Quality Control Specialist, Diamond Picker, Facetor, Diamond Grader, Diamond Polisher, Diamond Sawer

EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

The U.S. Department of Labor uses the classification of “Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers,” which includes bench jewelers, mold and model makers, assemblers, engravers, polishers, gemologists, laboratory graders, and jewelry appraisers. Although jewelry stores and repair shops are found in every city and many small towns, most jobs are in larger metropolitan areas.

Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers held about 39,800 jobs in 2014.

27% worked in retail clothing and accessory stores
16% worked in jewelry manufacturing
10% worked with merchant wholesalers

Employment for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers is expected to decline by 11% in the 2014-24 decade. Most opportunities will be for bench jewelers who have design and repair training. Additionally, the need for skilled jewelers will rise as the older generation retires.

SALARY AND WAGE DATA

Most jewelers begin with a base salary, then begin charging per piece as they become more skilled. Jewelers who work in retail stores may earn a commission for each piece of jewelry they sell. Many jewelers also get employee benefits, including reimbursement for work-related courses and discounts on jewelry purchases.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimated the average annual salary for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers as $37,060 in 2015. Average hourly wages were $17.82.

According to Payscale, the median annual salary for jewelers was $40,309 in 2016. The median hourly wage was $15. Wages for more specific positions are as follows:

Precious stone and metal workers - Median annual salary: $46,996 | Median hourly wage: $15
Jewelry designers – Median annual salary: $50,081 | Median hourly wage: $19

Program News

Radical Jewelry Makeover: Boston

In a collaboration with Massachusetts College of Art and Design, NBSS, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, jewelry making students collected, sorted, and remade over 70 donations from the Boston area, culminating in an exhibition of rings, necklaces, brooches, earrings, and more—all for sale. The project aims to offer an informed and creative alternative to traditional mining practices and jewelry production.

Creativity in Jewelry Design Starts with the Basics

The art of jewelry making is rooted in precision—combining expert fabrication skills and stone setting techniques to craft a piece that will endure. So, whether you are drawn to the creative design process or to the technical skills required to make and repair jewelry, the science and math knowledge needed to do it well are rooted in centuries of jewelry design and will continue to propel the art of jewelry forward for centuries to come.

Jewelry Making: Art and Precision

The art of jewelry making is rooted in precision—combining expert fabrication skills and stone setting techniques to craft a piece that will endure. So, whether you are drawn to the creative design process or to the technical skills required to make and repair jewelry, the science and math knowledge needed to do it well are rooted in centuries of jewelry design and will continue to propel the art of jewelry forward for centuries to come.

NBSS Featured on New England Living

New England Living is a weekly lifestyle show featuring unique people, places, and experiences around New England. They recently visited NBSS, the oldest and first trade school, to learn about the programs and interview several faculty members. Watch the full video here.