“ Over the years I have taken on for “work experience” a reasonable number school aged children to experience “a week in the life of a jeweller/silversmith”.

 

This is my way of giving back to the industry that has been such a joy to me and in which my path has been blessed by early 80’s educational training standards and not least by receiving a full grant.

 

I think it comes as no surprise that “Students have changed” No longer are they just after the supposed glamour and kudos of work experience with a jeweller, assuming or envisioning a shop full of sparkle…not hereto won’t! Now it seems to be seen more as an easy option, an escape from the academic hurdles of school life….but not so lucky here!

I set a full range of techniques along with any maths calculations needed to execute a specific job and try attempting two techniques each day, resulting in the final day using their favourite techniques to produce their own designed piece to take home.

 

On this W.E. he started with saw piercing and then soldering the cut pieces into layers and by the end of the day polishing a ring turned up, soldered and sized.

 

Maths slotted in to determine the ring size in the first instance and in every place I could apply it, good to get that brain working each morning, they are 15 after all. In similar vane the rest of the week, sand casting a bar of silver using scrap metal then forging that down, annealing, etc. The loud heavy work and the use of the large torches to melt metal inevitably the most enjoyable for this young man…Sinking and then raising a sheet of brass to a dish enjoyed for use of larger hammers.

 

We also calculated costs of items in different metals using the bullion dealers websites and had extensive chats when I could get him to switch off the earbuds, as to the various routes one could take in the industry dependant on what was particularly enjoyable for him. In this instance the most enjoyable had been the heavier work, sand casting and soldering rather than fine detail and small tools or even finishing apart from the final polishing on the big motor! In conclusion this particular young man is better suited to blacksmithing than small scale but at least he knows before going further down the road. No future jeweller in the making for me this time.”