After three months at a job, you can generally get a pretty good idea as to whether or not you actually want to work in the industry. That's not to say your mind can't change before or after that point in time, however around three months is normally when most training programs have left you at least somewhat sufficient at you profession. With that being said, apprenticeships have a different time frame for becoming sufficient at a job. Generally a much longer one. After three months of learning about the jewelry industry, I was still months away from being even somewhat independent. Even with that said, I knew I was in love with this trade.
My name is Thomas, and I'm still an apprentice jeweler. Now that I have some time on my hands, I will hopefully be able to get a more consistent posting schedule for these. I say hopefully, because rush season is starting in a week. I can say that everything is nice and calm right now, however I am uncertain how long that will last. For time's sake, I'll stop with the premature lamentation of less free time and get on with June.
Though by June I knew I was infatuated with the idea of becoming a jeweler, I also knew that there was going to have to be an inordinate amount of work going into achieving that title. That work would maintain the form of ring sizings. However I did start on a new type of ring sizing, that being sizing up. When sizing a ring down, All you have to do is cut out the right size, bend the ring so either side of the cuts you made are touching, solder it, round out the ring if needed, and clean it up. Pretty simple all in all. A size up is a hair more difficult, given the fact that you have to find a piece that matches the material and color of you ring, cut and file the piece so it matches the amount of sizes you have to go up and the shape of the ring. From there, it's just two solders, then the same finalizing process as a size down. Right now, I enjoy seeing sizings as they break up the routine of primarily doing chain repairs. That is with the gift of hindsight. In June when I would show up size two, three, four, or five rings, polish them and leave, I was itching to do something else. I wasn't thrilled by the monotony, but I alway kept that goal in the back of my mind. Becoming a jeweler and getting certification acclaiming that I had done it. I kept my head down and kept working, and June turned to July.
I've said enough for now. I've been trying to cut myself off before I start rambling with no real direction, and I hope that I've been successful in preventing that. Though I may not have expressed it clearly I didn't dislike June, it was just a lot of repetition. Very necessay repetition, but it passed fast due to the repetition all the same. All the same, I wish you all well. Until next time.
Sincerely
-Thomas R. Hildreth
