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Goldsmiths or commercial jewelers just can't afford the time, extra tools, precious materials and expensive mistakes involved in training a novice. The fact is that aspiring craftsmen must have proficiency in the basic skills required before they can expect to find a job that will further improve their skills and earnings. There are many jewelry schools which offer short courses on various jewelry techniques and procedures. Most of these are aimed at people who already have some work experience in the jewelry trade or related fields. Such courses offer condensed training spread over a one- to ten-day period with lots of handouts and lectures but little hands-on experience or practice sessions. The result for a new student is lots of theory and handouts but no gain in proficiency.
Our basic curriculum focuses on mastering a foundation of basic techniques then constructing new techniques using skills already in use. Initially, students study specialized techniques and their applications to commercial jewelry or goldsmithing work. After students of our jewelry design school have learned the jewelry trade applications, we expose them to a broad spectrum of uses for their new skills in other areas of the metal arts. Sculpture, blacksmithing, foundry work, forge welding, minting and tool making are some other areas students can explore, experience and expand their abilities.
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The apprenticeship system used to train goldsmiths and jewelers since the middle ages is no longer practical. The inexperienced person seeking a position in the jewelry trade with no on-the-job training, which is the modern version of an apprenticeship, will find very few opportunities for diamond setting and stone setting. 
The Howard Academy for the Metal Arts was founded to provide vocational training in jewelry design and metal arts techniques for people seeking employment or self employment as goldsmiths, jewelers or other positions in the metal arts field doing custom jewelry design. To that end, we have taken a low tech, low cost approach to teaching the various techniques and basic skills involved. The emphasis is on creating proficient craftsmen able to translate ideas and designs into finished products efficiently, profitably and with pride in craftsmanship.
Innovation, versatility and proficiency imparted during training make our programs useful for all types of students. Anyone who wishes to enhance their creative ability by increasing their technical ability would benefit. Our cost per class hour and student to teacher ratio (12:1 max.) is one of the lowest in the country. We seek to graduate only top notch creative craftsmen for entry into a profession that really needs skilled professionals and is willing to pay them well.
