Mon Métier d’Excellence
I’ve been a Jewelry Prototypist at Tiffany & Co since 2008. I craft high jewelry pieces from sketches for new pieces, or for existing models I assemble the different components of a piece that has been made before. This requires good math skills to calculate the right measurements to create perfectly dimensioned jewels.
My background
I grew up in a family of jewelers and I often went to their store and watched them work. I didn’t go to a jewelry school, I learned the métier from the members of my family. I worked at a small store as an apprentice when I was 16 to perfect my technical skills. I joined Tiffany & Co as a jeweler in 2008.
The most important things you need for this métier
Perseverance, because this is not a métier you can master right from the start. You have to practice it again and again to progress. A school only gives you the basic know-how needed, the rest you learn on the job in the workshop. I think you need to spend a lot of time on your work to perfect your skills as a jeweler.
What I love most about my métier
I love making completely new pieces, pieces that have never been done before. It’s really exciting to set out and craft a new creation. And I like the compliments I receive when I finish a piece, when everyone is pleased with my work. That makes me extremely happy and proud.
Passing on the métier to new generations
I really enjoy sharing my know-how with young jewelers. I was an apprentice myself and jewelers who were much older helped me learn the métier. That was extremely important in my training, so I definitely would like to do the same now that I’ve become better at this craft.