2008 Woodie Awards
Becoming a diamond in the rough at jewelry school
By: MCT
Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: Odd News
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - As jewelers struggled to fill their employment ranks with new talent in the late 1970s, Dee Rouse Huth spotted an opportunity in their frustration.
"I'd ask, `How do you find jewelers when you need them?'" Huth recalled. "They said, `You don't.'"
Huth decided to link her passion for jewelry design with a career in teaching, founding the California Institute of Jewelry Training in Carmichael.
"Truly encouraging people to `Do something you love and success will follow,' and encouraging those who think a trade or career is not enough to get by in this world of ours is truly an opportunity."
In the Sacramento area, she said, apprentice jewelers start at about $12 an hour, while experienced jewelers can earn upwards of $60,000 a year.
Fernando Leon, a 2002 graduate, has worked as a jeweler for Nan-Den Gems in Fairfield, Calif., for six years. The 41-year-old Winters resident had worked in trash disposal for Davis until suffering a back injury in 2001.
Leon started from the ground up at the institute, learning the basics of soldering, stone setting and sizing, and the hard work paid off almost instantly. Nan-Den scooped Leon up a week after graduation day.
"For me, it was one week. I finished school one week and got the job the next week," Leon said.
The school provides a pipeline of jewelry talent here and abroad. They're a mix of high school graduates looking for a creative career track; stay-at-home parents; and individuals embarking on a second career.
"I'd ask, `How do you find jewelers when you need them?'" Huth recalled. "They said, `You don't.'"
Huth decided to link her passion for jewelry design with a career in teaching, founding the California Institute of Jewelry Training in Carmichael.
"Truly encouraging people to `Do something you love and success will follow,' and encouraging those who think a trade or career is not enough to get by in this world of ours is truly an opportunity."
In the Sacramento area, she said, apprentice jewelers start at about $12 an hour, while experienced jewelers can earn upwards of $60,000 a year.
Fernando Leon, a 2002 graduate, has worked as a jeweler for Nan-Den Gems in Fairfield, Calif., for six years. The 41-year-old Winters resident had worked in trash disposal for Davis until suffering a back injury in 2001.
Leon started from the ground up at the institute, learning the basics of soldering, stone setting and sizing, and the hard work paid off almost instantly. Nan-Den scooped Leon up a week after graduation day.
"For me, it was one week. I finished school one week and got the job the next week," Leon said.
The school provides a pipeline of jewelry talent here and abroad. They're a mix of high school graduates looking for a creative career track; stay-at-home parents; and individuals embarking on a second career.
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