Have you ever wondered how you can create something timeless? Something that holds it’s value, and may even gain value as the years go on? Do you want your work to spark an emotional feeling? Then maybe you can take a few cues from Jewelry Design.

At Nollie Design, we want to share the transferable skills between design fields. Jewelry Design is one of the 12 Principles for Generalist Designers.

Jewelry Design is a unique creative field that is about learning how to design treasure. Jewelry sparks an emotional response in people. Just ask anyone who’s been engaged! 

Jewelry can reflect your culture, it can gain value, it can become a treasured heirloom that gets passed down to the next generation. By learning to design jewelry, you’ll be able to develop work that can be luxurious, timeless and personal.

What is Jewelry Design?

Jewelry Design is the design of accessories like rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, cufflinks, pendants and body jewelry. In this series, we’ll also look into other metalwork status symbols, like medals and awards. 

Jewelry is a reflection of it’s owner. Jewelry has been used for functionality, to show social status, portray religion, ward off superstitions and award rites of passage. It is also used to show off your personal style and tastes. Sometimes all these elements can come together in one piece.

Jewelry, Cups, trophies, medals and coins are valued when possessed by an owner. They have a ceremonial connection, something larger than the object itself. When owned, they reflect their owner just by being in their possession. 

Take a strong example of Jewelry design, a crown. In the United Kingdom, the King’s Crown is a reflection of himself and the symbol of the monarchy. They are intertwined. When King dies, that crown will move onto the next generation. The crown is the object that holds the value that can be passed on, but simply by owning it brings status.

This connection between the owner and the object is very unique within this field of design and something that as a designer will allow you to understand how to design timeless luxury designs.

Jewelry has been found in historical sites dating long before recorded history. We were living in an Ice Age and fighting Sabre Tooth tigers, hunting Mammoths and still finding time to bling out. But if you think that’s crazy, wait till later in this post…

For as long as humans have existed, jewelry has been woven into our stories, our cultures, and our identities, so by adding it to your skillset you’re adding one of history’s earliest forms of creativity.

Why Generalist Designers Should Learn Jewelry Design

At Nollie Design we want to give you the tools to make you an interdisciplinary designer. By learning from different fields of Design you build up a bigger picture of these areas overlap. 

As you begin to understand these overlaps, you can move into new projects and expand your creative skillset. 

Jewelry Design is a great introduction to metalwork, which will play a larger role as we move forward with learning the 12 Principles.

Jewellery Design has close links to culture, symbolism and materials. You can look into your own culture, history and personal tastes to design jewelry that reflects you and the world around you. 

Jewelry Design has a high impact when learned in conjunction with Fashion Design. Both fields focus on design that can be worn by someone. 

Risks to Learning Interdisciplinary Design

Time to Learn Technical Skills

Jewelry Design requires learning intricate techniques like metalwork, stone setting and casting. For interdisciplinary Designers without any experience in Jewelry Design, this can feel like a steep learning curve, especially if you’ve been trained without any practical skills.

Start with learning foundational skills through courses or workshops before expanding into more advanced techniques. 

Being an interdisciplinary Designer isn’t about being suddenly able to all forms of design overnight, it’s about understanding how all fields of design interact and developing a growth mindset. Take your time and learn at your own pace.

Investing in Resources

Learning Jewelry Design will require you to invest in tools, materials and equipment. As an interdisciplinary designer, you need to decide where you want allocate your resources as you work across the 12 Principles of Interdisciplinary Designers.

If you are strapped for cash, you could look at starting at studios that offer workshops and equipment. This way you don’t have to fully invest in the tools just yet. If there’s a local makerspace in your area, find out if they have tools that allow you to use.

You can save more by starting with less expensive base metals and synthetic gemstones before investing in precious metals and gemstones.

Integrating Jewelry Design Into Your Existing Practice

By adding Jewelry Design to your creative skillset, you’ll need to balance this with managing any ongoing projects and client work. Integrating Jewelry Design into your creative practice can be overwhelming if you rush it.

Becoming an Interdisciplinary Designer is about developing a growth mindset, adding techniques and skills from different design disciplines. The more techniques you add, the more similarities you’ll notice between different projects. These techniques will transfer into other design projects.

Set realistic goals and make time for developing your creative work. 

Benefits for Interdisciplinary Designers Learning Jewelry Design

Design For Possession

Jewelry Design is unique in that it instantly provides an emotional attachment between the owner and the item of jewelry. The best example of this reaction is when someone gets engaged, they suddenly form a strong and powerful emotional connection to the engagement ring.

But that’s only one example, there are several other instances where humans develop a strong personal connection with jewelry. Holding on to the jewelry of a deceased relative, getting an award, career milestones, souvenirs that remind you of a trip you took.

Other design fields can’t deliver the kind of emotional reaction that Jewelry Design can. To be able to understand how people build this kind of personal connection and implement it in your work would be priceless.

Design Timeless Work

Jewelry Design is about creating pieces that can stand the test of time. Most jewelry is expected to be held onto and treasured for years, even generations.You create something that is considered timeless, withstanding trends and even gaining value the older it is.

For interdisicplinary designers, learning what makes something timeless allows you to incorporate that skill in your further design projects. You’ll me able to elevate your work by applying the principles of timeless design from Jewelry Design into your work.

Design for Luxury

Jewelry Design provides an opportunity for designers to explore how to design luxury items and refining their work to meet a high standard of quality. Jewelry is supposed to be elegant, and being able to design projects that portray that visually will be highly beneficial for designers.

Understanding the design language used by luxury design brands and historical examples in you can gain insights into the elements that portray quality, with fine materials, intricate craftsmanship and sophisticated detailing. 

By having an understanding of what makes something luxurious, you’ll be able to transfer that visual language to other projects and potential clients. You can even change your price point to cater to high end clients.

The History of Jewelry Design

“What we’re going to do right here is go back. Way back, back into time…”

Want to hear something absolutely bonkers. Humans very likely didn’t invent jewelry.

The earliest found items of Jewelry are around over 100,000 years old. In 2013, a team of researchers found early examples of jewelry in a cave in Croatia. The item was a necklace made from eagle talons linked together. 

The only thing is, humans weren’t in modern-day Croatia 100,000 years ago. We wouldn’t make it there for another 80,000 years. So who made the necklace? Neanderthals.

Is your mind blown or is it just me? Jewelry not only predates human history, but in a way, it may even predate humans. That is wild, man.

Jewelry comes up again and again throughout history. From Ancient civilisations like the Egyptians donning highly decorated jewelry with stone and symbols that showed their status and to guard off evil spirits. The scarab, a carving of a small beetle which represents rebirth, is found on a lot of ancient Egyptian jewelry.

In Medieval times, jewelry was used to demonstrate status and wealth, but also similar to the Egyptians some symbols served as functional. The Evil Eye and the Hamsa Hand (also known as the Hand of Fatima) were used as protection from evil. 

By the Renaissence Period, the rise of cutting gems introduced new ways to shape precious stones that allowed light to reflect through them. This new technique allowed gems to sparkle, even in candlelight. During this period most jewelry had some religious or mythological element.

As the world began to become more interlinked with trading, new fabrics and gemstones became favoured. New techniques of pinning gems to fabric became incredibly popular for women. For men, small swords were the jeweled accessory used to prove their gentlemanly status.

By the 19th Century, the finding of ancient archeological sites brought a resurgence of ancient Greek and Roman jewelry. Jewelers would try to recreate or emulate these ancient techniques. By the end of this period, the simple jewelry that reflected the ancient styles had made way for more complex floral pieces.

By the time of the Industrial Revolution, the Arts and Crafts movement had announced they were sick of mass-manufactured jewelry and looked to the traditional crafting techniques to create ideas.

During Art Noveau movement, the period just before World War 1, we see designers moving away from precious jewels and gems in favour of using polished glass, horn and enamel. 

After World War 2, new technology introduced new materials like plastic which allowed designers to push the envelope fo what’s possible to wear as jewelry, blurring the lines between design and Fine Art.

Today Jewelry is still used a status symbol. The rise of hip hop culture and “bling” has ushered in a new era where jewelry can be bold, experimental and acceptable for both men and women. 

What Do I Need to Know to Start Designing Jewelry?

Types of Jewelry

For Jewelry Design it’s important to be familiar with the different types of jewlery like necklaces, earrings, earrings, bracelets, rings, pendants, cufflinks, key chains, medals and awards. The list goes on.

Each of these types of jewelry have their own processes and ways of manufacturing. But being an interdisciplinary designer, the more you learn about these techniques the more you’ll find that they start to come into play when you’re working on other design projects.

Metalwork

With Jewelry Design, you can decide between using traditional bench-based manufacturing or using digital manufacturing techniques like 3D Printing and CAD. 

Bench-based manufacturing is the old-school method of making jewelry, learning these techniques will further your workshop skills. This is how you imagine jewelry making, making fine details in metal using saws, filing, and polishing.

Digital Manufacturing is a new process that’s been made possible with the rise of CAD software and 3D printing. 3D Printing allows you to design highly complex shapes in CAD software to make a mold that you can use to cast your design.

If you’re familiar with designing using Industrial or Interior Design, then you’ll be able to use those CAD skills. 

You’ll need to add other elements to your metalwork too, like stone setting, soldering, engraving, and polishing.

Jewelry Design Tools

You’ll need to learn the tools to make jewelry designs. Having workshop skills are vital for a Generalist Designer. as you progress across the 12 Principles of Generalist Design Principles, the more you’ll understand how these skills will transfer and build your craftsmanship.

For traditional jewlery making, you’ll need to understand how to use hand tools like pliers, cutters and files. You’ll need to learn how to use bench tools like a soldering torch and other equipment.

You can get everything you need to get started with these Jewellery Making Tools.

If you’re opting for digital forms of manufacturing, you’ll need to be able to design in CAD and have acess to a 3D printer. If you don’t you can always try your local makerspace or use a site like Shapeways.

Gemology

In Jewelry Design jewels and gemstones are used interchangeably to refer to the stones that are used within the design. By designing Jewelry, you’ll need to understand more about the stones you’ll use in your work.

You’ll need to learn how to select and source gemstones for your designs. You’ll need to factor in color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. 

You can start to learn about stones by finding out your birthstone. Could you make an item of jewelry that reflects your personality using your birthstone?

What Else Do I Need to Get Started with Jewelry Design?

Design Journal

A Design Journal is vital for every designer. It provides designers a place to jot down their ideas, update on project progress, sketch and write down any advice, new techniques and feedback. We’ve written before about the importance of using a Design Journal.

Consistently using a Design Journal has been vital for me when developing interdisciplinary skills and could do the same for you. When you learn techniques you want to remember, write them down and you’ll be able to come back to them if you ever forget.

A Design Journal is useful for Jewelry Design in that you have an outlet for your design work. Use a Bullet page format, this way you can use the grid for diagrams and measurements, but it also allows you to sketch without lines disrupting your work.

Design Sketchbook

You’ll need a place to jot down your ideas. In the design industry, sketches are normally done on A3 paper (or Tabloid if you’re in the U.S.A.). This size of paper allows you space to explore your sketches on the page and add annotations and feelings on your work.

 Whenever you’re designing, it’s always best practice to get what’s in your head on to paper, even it’s a rough draft if you’re not great at drawing. Just a rough sketch, will help you and when you take it into software, you already have an idea to develop.

Sketching is something every designer is encouraged to do. Even if you;re rubbish at drawing, by practicing your sketching you’ll get better and open that part of your creative part of your brain.

Design Specification

A Design Specification is a tool used by designers to make sure their designs fit the requirements of the brief. Unlike Art, design is intended to be functional and help people. With a design specification you can keep track of how well your design functions.

A Design Specification is an evolving document, you should start using it at the start of the project. It list many elements that you should consider for your design, by answering the prompts of the topics, you can build an understanding of how your design fits in a larger context.

You can find out more about using Design Specifications in this guide or check our Design Spec template you can use instantly!

The Jewelry Design Process

The Design Process can be used as a North Star for designers. To become an Interdisciplinary Designer, you must build an adaptable process that allows you to be versatile with your creative projects. 

Building up your understanding of the design process allows you to utilize it across a variety of projects, as it’s the same across all design fields. By putting your trust into The Design Process, you can use it all all the disciplines and allow to to build a list of interdisciplinary projects.

Interp & Planning

When starting a new project, the more effort you put into planning in the initial stages will allow you to have more control of your time and your priorities. 

Every good project should be accompanied by a brief, a list of requirements for a final solution. A Brief Interpretation is you relaying back your understanding of the brief to ensure that you fully understand what is required of your design work.

Spend time planning your project. Understand the people involved and what is expected from the project. Work backward from your final deadline, what do you need to do and how long do you think it will take you? Use this to set deadlines for the project.

In the case of Jewelry Design, your brief will cover some important elements of the project like who is the intended target audience, the budget, and if the jewelry is to be used in events, like weddings or red carpets. 

Research

Research is the most underestimated stage of any design project. As an interdisciplinary designer, research is the tool that you can use to dive into different styles of projects. It’s a chance for you to fill any gaps in your knowledge.  

The research stage is about going out and meeting people who will be impacted by your final design and getting expert advice to help further your ability to complete the project. Find users that are your intended target demographic and get their opinions. 

By going out and meeting experts and intended users you can build your network. Keep the experts updated on your project, perhaps returning with prototypes and getting their feedback later in the project.

Any findings you make during the Research Stage, keep note of in your Design Specification.

Concepts

Now we get to the fun bit! It’s time to put pen to paper and start coming up with ideas.

Using your research, its time to start coming up with your ideas. Come up with as many ideas as you can. Your first idea is never your best idea so it’s important to focus on quantity.

Once you have narrowed down your best ideas, you can begin the development stage.

Development

Once you have some initial concepts, it’s time to refine those designs through development. Make sure that your concepts reflect the needs of the brief and the creative choices you make are explained in the Design Specification.

Once you have an idea of what you want to make, the development stage is about refining your idea until your almost have a finished prototype. You’ll need to outline dimensions, construction materials and can use your Design Specification as a guide.

Prototyping is one the most important stages in developing a Polymathic Process. Making models helps you validate your idea and understand how it will work in the real world, outside of your sketchbook or CAD software. You can use 3D printing or other traditional crafts as a way to develop your prototype.

During the development stage you should factor in how your idea will be manufactured, and design in a way that allows for the easy handover to skilled manufacturers, or to continue the design if you have the means of production.

Detail

The detail stage is about finishing and polishing your final jewelry design to ensure that the quality and detail is as it should be. In Jewelry Design this can be the stage that certain gemstones are added and set in the piece.

This is the stage that you want to refine your idea so that it is ready for clients and marketing teams to be able to promote your work.

Pitch

The pitch stage is relaying your idea back to the client and relaying how your design is a success and how it meets the requirements of the brief.

The key to a good pitch is understanding the reasoning behind your design decisions. You should be able to answer the reason WHY something is the way it is. 

This is another stage where it pays to use a Design Specification.

Promotion

The promotion stage is the final stage of a project. It’s time to organise and promote your work and gain attention to build your reputation as a designer. 

The first thing you should do is include the project in your portfolio. Your portfolio is the most important document you own as a designer and a reflection of your work. Make it a habit to put your final solution in your portfolio as soon as you finish the project.

To build an audience for your work, you need to put yourself out there. This can be hard for a lot of designers, but it’s vital to grow your career. Post your work on Behance, Social Media and LinkedIn.

What is the Polymathic Process?

The Design Process is a tool you can use to help you build your interdisciplinary skills. The Design Process is much and such the same across all design fields. 

At Nollie we want you to develop a better understanding of your process so that it can be adapted to different styles of design projects. We call this the Polymathic Process.

Conclusion

At Nollie we want to show you how your skills from one design specialty transfers into other styles of design project.

To become an interdisciplinary designer, it’s important to learn from and respect the different design fields. The more you do, the more you’ll find the overlaps between them.

With Jewlery Design, not only is it a practice that’s as old as humankind, it still provokes a strong reaction. The connection between the item and the owner is deep, meaningful and long lasting. Not many other design fields can do give that same reaction.

By adding Jewelry Design into your interdisciplinary skillset, you can begin to design in a way that gives people that powerful reaction. Once you know how to do that, you can implement it in other areas of your work.