Jewellery industry is one of the India’s top export earner, amounting to more than 16 billion US dollars, in the fiscal year 2006-07. This coupled with the zero import duty on diamonds entering into India has further enhanced the country to be claimant as a global diamond jewelry trading hub. Importance of Jewelry designers and gemmologists in the Gem and Jewellery field today is very immense. Even the sky rocketing gold prices have not dimmed the hopes of the buyers from buying jewelry. This boom has opened up many more oppurtunities for the jewelry professionals. Many times, I have come across people asking questions like, “Is there any career opportunity as a “jewelry designer”. My answer to this would be a firm “YES!” And I don’t feel there would be any other field where the career opportunities would be so exciting and enticing. Jewelry designers have the choice of working with jewelry stores or big export corporate houses. Multinationals are also on the look out for young talented designers all the time, willing to pay any price for the creativity and art. After getting little experience and knowledge jewelry designers who believe in themselves and want to grow further may also go in to start their own jewelry business. In this scenario, however, investment and contacts play a key role to achieve success. If not business, designers can also sell their designs for a fee and not get bounded by any job or business. In other words, the opportunities are unlimited. Dos and Don’ts1) Whenever a student joins a jewelry design school, the first thing to hit his/her mind is this – “Is art important in learning jewelry designing?” to attract more business for their schools you will definitely get the answer from the jewelry schools that,”no prior art backing is required and any one can take the admissions”. But let me assure you one thing, if you don’t have the talent or that creative inclination in you then you are going to have a very tough time to cope up with classes and I am not exaggerating here. To become a successful designer you need to have that creativity, art and sense of design. Precision and attention to details are also very important. Also the labour and time involved in very high. If you are determined and willing to put in that extra effort then there is no looking back. 2) Most importantly, let’s address the basic issue – To learn designing first or learn jewelry manufacturing first? If you say designing, then my friends I am afraid you are terribly mistaken! Because it’s like learning to run before learning to walk. In order to design jewelry, you need to know a million things about the material you would be working on, about the feel of the metal, about its joints, hinges, polish and lots more. All these things are very important to know before you learn designing. Jewelry designing, unlike painting, requires some basics and guidelines to be followed, which can be learnt best only with practical knowledge and not just theory. 3) When you are choosing a jewelry designing school, check out the faculty before joining it. Don’t just join any institute. Learn your basics, Do your homework and then take the interview of the faculty rather than them choosing you. You are paying money and should get back every penny’s worth you are putting in. I can tell from my personal experience that most designing schools do not even teach the basics properly. 4) Always keep updated with the trends in the fashion industry. After all, we survive on what is going on in the current latest fashion industry and that’s where our whole business lies. Designers should always know what the current trend is, what’s in, what’s not and what’s cool, what’s hot! Visit trade shows, exhibitions, fairs and whatever possible. Check out the jewelry of celebrities. Read books, surf the net. Do whatever possible to stay updated on latest news, trends and fashions. Trade shows give you lots of experience and confidence than one can imagine. Finally the money, which everyone’s interested in. As a trainee one can expect a starting pay of Rs. 4000 – Rs. 5000 per month in small showrooms and up to Rs. 10, 000 in big multinational organizations. Talent, nevertheless, is imperative to demand or deserve these. One can always improve their skill, art and talent with their hardwork and dedication. After some years the pay scale can jump easily up to Rs. 25,000 per month. Remember along with jewelry designing if you also know gemology, diamond grading or jewelry manufacturing then double the above estimates. Designing degree along with gemologist or certified gemologist degree can work wonders to your career. So it’s very important to know the whole jewelry industry on the whole rather than just knowing it in bits and pieces.