Mr Kaman Fung, Programme Administrator, Academic Programmes Division, SCEHKBU (left) and Mr Edmond Li, Course Instructor, Jewelry Design with JewelCAD (right)

Jewelry design has long been a tradition of exquisite craftsmanship combined with a high level of artistry. In many people's eyes, a piece of jewelry is a work of art.

A jewelry designer normally takes years to develop his or her practical skills and design ability. However, with the emergence of jewelry design computer software developed to create sophisticated artwork, the face of this traditional yet creative and glamorous business has taken on a modern look. A new generation of jewelry designers uses the computer not only to revolutionize the design process, but also to reduce production time in jewelry manufacturing.

Computer-aided design

As Hong Kong's jewelry production shifted to mainland China in recent years to trim costs, Hong Kong started to excel in the aspect of design and has successfully established itself as one of the major centers of jewelry design in the Asia Pacific.

But the level of jewelry design in Korea and Thailand has advanced so much over the years that Hong Kong's jewelry industry has finally met with intense rivalry in terms of design, style, creativity and practical skills.

Building on international trends, the School of Continuing Education of Hong Kong Baptist University (SCEHKBU) has introduced a course for jewelry designers wishing to upgrade their knowledge and skills in design.

The course Jewelry Design with JewelCAD aims at meeting the growing demand for jewelry designers who have mastered the basics of traditional jewelry design and know how to express their designs in a digital format, with the use of computers as well. The course, now in its fifth year, has been well received by the technical personnel and management in the industry, according to Mr Kaman Fung, Program Administrator of the course.

Digitalizing design

"JewelCAD is a software application specifically developed for the jewelry industry. It allows designers to create three-dimensional design,”says Mr Edmond Li, International Sales Manager of Jewellery CAD/CAM Limited and also the instructor of the course. The powerful software combines the processes of jewelry design and mould making.

Mr Li adds: "Computer-aided design (CAD) may be a way to produce sufficient jewelry designers in a rather short period of time, a solution to the shortage of jewel masters in the industry.”

The software helps the designer to create sophisticated designs. It allows instant modification of images, increases measurement accuracy and facilitates computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) in jewelry production. Besides, the data and images generated by the software can be output directly for printing catalogues and brochures, posting web pages and making moulds for subsequent production. With the salient advantages of computer-aided design being recognized by more and more companies in the industry, it is becoming common for buyers to request designs generated by the computer.

Customers can see an actual replication of a piece of jewelry, instead of a prototype that usually takes longer to make and costs more to produce. With the help of computer graphics, any changes to the design can be made instantly or at the very last moment before an order is confirmed and manufacturing starts. "That certainly streamlines the work flow and paces up the business and manufacturing process,” comments Mr Li.

The path to success

"We don't set stringent admission requirements for applicants to the course. Applicants with basic computer skills who are interested in jewelry design can definitely make a success of the course; and students' performance is evaluated through assignments and projects,” Mr Li says.

The course is comprised of eight sessions with a total of 30 hours and has a total of three classes to offer in November and December. “It's a very practical course, with topics ranging from an introduction to materials used for jewelry design, to design concepts development, to drawing skills and techniques to form surface, shape, line and curve on the computer,” says Mr Fung. Since this course is recognized by the Continued Education Fund, students successfully completing the course can have 80 per cent of the course fee reimbursed.

More information on enrolment and course details is available at the web site of SCEHKBU at www.hku.edu.hk

Taken from Career Times 2002/11/15