How did you become a jeweler and what are your suggestions about GIA? I'm trying to enroll into the Gemological Institute of America, but finding the money for school is harder than I thought. I applied for Financial Aid and I'm not sure if the loans that they will give me are enough for housing, transportation...etc.. and all that good stuff on campus. Any advice would help tremendously. Thanks.
im dca, and gia certified..... of course my company paid for mine. are you wanting to become jewelry repair or dealer?
I want to be a dealer, but my uncle (also a jeweler), thought that my best work could be done in repairs or even design since he thinks that I can be really creative, and that I wouldn't have to deal with the people. How did your company pay for yours?
i take it you want to go take all of the courses they offer, i just took 1 course and got certified. i'm not sure if you would be able to do it since you're not in the industry. i work for jared (owned by sterling jewelers), i worked in the repair division for 2 years and had the option to become a jeweler for repairs and custom but it was going to require more time than i wanted to give. i work on the sales side now, but all of this is just to get me through school... having been certified is nice because i learned alot, but it'll also be a nice addition to my resume.
My other uncle works for Zales in the repairing department and they were going to send him to Colorado so he can get certified. So I'm guessing maybe the best thing for me to do is ask Zales more detail about how to get a certificate. I did some repairing myself when I was in high school or junior high so maybe they might be able to work with them for a bit? thanks for the info
