Jewelry Design

aas

Jewelry is art worn on the body. Or a fun fashion statement. A precious keepsake or the perfect touch that completes an outfit. With materials, processes, and markets so varied, the jewelry industry lets you find your own path to success.

This program’s breadth and depth are unique, covering design, fabrication, gemology, manufacturing, and business. Our outstanding resources include professional metal-arts studios, a substantial gem collection for study and use in student projects, and technology from CAD engineering and graphics software to high-resolution 3D printing. Technology, e-commerce, social media, and the global marketplace are opening new opportunities in this multifaceted field.

Program

jewelry design aas degree

Jewelry Design AAS

FIT’s Jewelry Design program is unique in how it integrates craftsmanship, professional design, digital literacy, and best business practices. Our two-year program trains you in the design and creation of jewelry, including presentation techniques, principles of production methods, CAD technologies for mechanical drafting and 3D modeling, the use of digital output technologies including 3D printing and CNC milling, the study of gems, and insight into the design trends of the past, present, and future.

Degree Details

Impact

Dream it. Design it. Make it … Artistry, craftsmanship, and vision combine to create pieces with beauty and meaning in this global industry.

Outside the Classroom

Since New York City is the center of the American jewelry industry, opportunities abound. Students have interned at Miriam Haskell, Tiffany & Co., David Yurman, Judith Ripka, and Christie’s auction house, and the Plumb Club is now offering a new mentoring and internship program for FIT Jewelry Design students.

Graduates work as designers, jewelers, and executives in the manufacturing and merchandising of fine and fashion jewelry for such companies as Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston, Carolee, Jones Jewelry Group, and Oscar Heyman, and as assistants to top designers such as David Yurman and Judith Ripka. Some recent graduates also market their own jewelry online.

Beyond Graduation
jewelry design

Learn From the Best

FIT’s program is closely tied to the industry, with a faculty of experts who bring firsthand knowledge of today’s market into the classroom. As mentors, they guide you to find your own niche in this competitive, highly specialized field. Meet more Jewelry Design faculty.
Kim Nelson

Kim Nelson

Nelson is an assistant professor of Jewelry Design. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Utah State University and an Associate in Applied Science degree from FIT.

Wendy Yothers

Wendy Yothers

Yothers, an assistant professor in Jewelry Design, is an expert silversmith, specializing in restoration, prototype making, and production smithing. She attended the Institute of Precious Metals Design and Production, at Copenhagen Technical School, the Croyden College of Art in England, and the University of Michigan, where she received her BFA.

Michael Coan

Michael Coan

Coan is an assistant professor of Jewelry Design. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Albany and a diploma from the Gemological Institute of America.

Contact Us

Jewelry Design

Dubinsky Student Center, Room A471
(212) 217-5736

Su Ku

Chair

Kim Nelson

Assistant Chair
jewelry design instagram

Art and Design Gallery

The Art and Design Gallery is open from 9 am until 5 pm, seven days per week. The gallery is located at the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 27th Street. 

Let's Make It Happen

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS