Advanced Diploma in Jewellery Design and Entrepreneurship

For graduates wishing to carve out their own niche in the jewellery market, or those expecting to take over family-run jewellery establishments, this educational path delivers more in-depth design & fabrication skills while equipping the student with the necessary entrepreneurial skills to set up, operate and manage the growth of their own jewellery design business.

Students who have completed the Advanced Diploma in Jewellery Design & Entrepreneurship will be well suited to starting their own business ventures in areas such as:

• Customized Designer Jewellery
• Jewellery Retail
• Jewellery component Retail
• Online Jewellery Retail
• Jewellery-related design or marketing consultation services

Modules for this program include:

JD201 - Advanced Jewellery Design

This course covers advanced paper design technique designers use to convey subtle fabrication hints to the intended manufacturers. Designers also learn about how to design jewellery that is ideally suited to different mass-production techniques. Students also learn of the different Computer Aided Jewellery Design tools that are available in the market and the concepts and skills they need to master to transfer their paper-skills to computer.

JD202 - Advanced Thread & Wire Designer Jewellery

Expanding upon the professional thread and wire techniques learned in JD102, students learn of the design principles and calculations involved in creating multiple-strand thread-based jewellery, and in using wire techniques to create their own customized findings, clasps and accessories. At the conclusion of JD102 and JD202 students have the skills and experience to create an exhaustive variety of designs using thread and wire.

JD203 - Advanced Silver & Gold Fabrication Using Metal Clay

This module develops the knowledge and skills students working with Metal Clay require by incorporating learning projects that employ multiple media such as 22 karat gold, gold leaf and glass fusing. Students refine their jewellery finishing techniques, learn about the correct methods of incorporating fine silver and sterling silver findings and learn new stone-setting techniques to complete their repertoire of skills.

JD204 - Jewellery Metal-smithing, Traditional and Contemporary Techniques

In this course students work with and gain an understanding of the many alternative metals available for use in jewellery. Students experience a variety of traditional techniques including Repoussé and Chasing, Drilling, Forging, Fusing and Soldering. Metal finishing techniques of various kinds will be covered. Discovery of other materials for incorporation into creative designs will be explored.

BS205 - International Law & Jewellery Trade

This module covers the judicial decisions, statutes and regulatory rules that affect the jewellery industry as a whole. Students begin with an understanding of import and export requirements and restrictions on precious metals and gemstones, including an understanding of the ongoing effect of illegal gemstone trade in many African countries. Students also understand the legal requirements in various major countries such as the USA pertaining to the presentation and sale of gemstones and jewellery and how such laws can be ascertained and understood in the student's home country.

BS206 - Retail Management & Systems

This module covers day-to-day issues related to retail operation in the jewellery industry. Students learn of business management concepts relevant to retail sales such as staffing, security, customer's management and performance measurement. Furthermore, common manual and automated retail point of sale systems concepts are examined and understood. Students project work includes assessment of retail processes & systems in use in local jewellery businesses.

BS207 - Business Accounting

Students understand the need for accurate and disciplined accounting and learn how entries, ledgers and journals, when properly recorded contribute to creating comprehensive financial statements. Students then learn how to review these statements to determine overall business success, identify the most profitable products, effectively manage their inventory and understand what the major cost drivers are for business in general.

BS208 - Entrepreneurship

This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of starting a new jewellery business to produce, market and sell designer jewellery. Critical aspects of start-up finance and business planning are covered and students will be expected to produce detailed business and financial plans for their proposed new venture, addressing such issues as type of business, location, store design, customer demographics and pricing.