REGULAR
REGULAR
BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF JEWELLERY
Towards a Graduate Show
As May slips away, the energy and excitement mount within Birmingham’s famous School of Jewellery.
Lathes are spinning, the last curls of engine turning leave spiral patterns glinting in the dim sunlight, claws bead
over stones and the smell of fresh paint on the showcases fills the air.
By DAUVIT ALEXANDER and ANDREW HOWARD
F
June 2017 | jewelleryfocus.co.uk
College of Art – and he has taken
the decision to invite as a guest
speaker the international jewellery
design consultant, Barbara Schmidt.
The industry evening is always busy
and buzzy and we set this up as
an opportunity for our graduates
to meet with potential employers,
galleries, collectors and stockists,
and we are very proud of this
particular focus on the connection
with the jewellery industry. It is one
of the unique aspects of the teaching
at the School of Jewellery.
The courses we offer here all
have a particular approach and
focus and, of course, the students
then determine their own direction
within each course and we would
love readers of Jewellery Focus to
come and visit us during the week
of the exhibition.
What can a visitor to the School
of Jewellery graduate show expect
to see?
HND JEWELLERY AND
SILVERSMITHING
This is our traditional, industry-
focused course which aims to
develop the classic hand-skills
associated with the industry while
preparing students to use new
technologies, all within a business
context. The work exhibited by
HND students will include hand-
made, gem-set, fine jewellery, large
pieces of silversmithing, digitally-
produced commercial work, serious,
traditional, whimsical and all the
rest through to diamond-set dental-
grilles. Most of the work is primarily
made in precious materials.
Some of our previous HND
graduates who are now working
in the industry include silversmith,
Kevin Gray, Rebecca Sellors and
Naomi Newton-Sherlock.
BA (HONS) JEWELLERY AND
SILVERSMITHING - DESIGN
FOR INDUSTRY
This is a unique, one-year, top-
up degree which allows our HND
students to gain a BA. The main
focus of students on this course is
on computer-aided-design (CAD)
skills. The DFI course allows
freedom for the students to develop
collections to use any materials they
wish but high-tech predominates
and this year features 3D-sintered
nylon, lathe-turned and spun brass,
fine stone-setting and gold as well
as pieces made entirely by hand
from digital designs. Students from
‘‘
The industry
evening is
always busy
and buzzy
and we set
this up as an
opportunity
for our
graduates to
meet with
potential
employers,
galleries,
collectors and
stockists
‘‘
rom early in the morning to
late into the evening, the staff
– especially our technical
support staff – and students are
working to prepare the annual
graduate show and the 2017 show
promises to be as spectacular and
varied as ever, showcasing the
talents of students on our wide
variety of courses: HND Jewellery
and Silversmithing, BA (Hons)
Jewellery and Related Products,
BA (Hons) Horology, BA (Hons)
Jewellery and Silversmithing -
Design For Industry and BSc
(Hons) Gemmology and Jewellery
Studies. Some 100 plus students
will lay out the fruits of their
labour for family, friends, peers
and, most importantly, for the
jewellery industry as a whole.
The School of Jewellery was
founded in 1890 by Birmingham
Jewellery
and
Silversmiths
Association - which became the
British Jewellers Association -
beginning a connection with the
local industry which we have
valued and nurtured and which
continues to this day. Many of the
businesses in both the Birmingham
Jewellery Quarter and further afield
sponsor our graduate prizes in areas
as diverse as design innovation,
wax-carving, gem-testing, practical
clock-making and commercial
jewellery production.
In total, there will be over 30
prizes presented at our Industry
Evening on 13 June – a private
viewing for members of the
industry. This will be the first
graduate show to be presided
over by our newly-appointed
Head of School, Professor Stephen
Bottomley – lately of Edinburgh
JEWELLERY FOCUS
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