ONLINE EDUCATION
CRAFT SKILLS
The modern path to craftsmanship
After 35 years in the industry and a wide breadth of knowledge and experience , jewellery specialist Joanna Hardy will be teaching what she has learned to jewellery enthusiasts with a new online jewellery school . The first of its kind to take place on such a platform , Hardy tells SHEKINA TUAHENE how her school will focus on the beauty of the trade and encourage others to explore it further
“ We all have very busy lives and , as a result , many people have goals they want to achieve and interests they want to pursue but are time-poor ,” explains jewellery specialist Joanna Hardy . In collaboration with Learning With Experts , Hardy will soon be sharing her 35 years of knowledge in the jewellery industry in a series of web-based learning programs available to students across the world . With so many alternatives to traditional ways of learning , the online jewellery school is the first of its kind in the industry , allowing students to learn the history of jewellery making while developing an appreciation for the trade and skill .
Hardy goes on to say that there was a clear demand for her to offer her services online , as many of her students liked the idea of learning about jewellery but couldn ’ t always commit the time to it . “ I often run jewellery masterclasses and have had increasingly more requests to take these online so that attendees can fit their learning around their lives .” The personalisation of the classes also means that students can go at their own pace , learning in the comfort of their own homes .
Although students of the online school will learn the process of how to create pieces , Hardy stresses that her classes will not serve as a substitution to practical jewellery making but instead , will offer “ a lot of background and detailed information about how to approach fine jewellery ”. Aiming to make the history of the trade accessible to everyone Hardy hopes that her classes will “ give students more confidence in knowing what to be aware of when handling jewellery ” and
JOANNA HARDY ALL IMAGE CREDITS JOANNA HARDY reiterates that it “ is not a replacement for goldsmithing schools and apprenticeships ”.
The general curriculum of the school will be learning about the history of jewellery , its aesthetics and the gemmological information about the stones in some notable pieces . Hardy labels this whole process as a “ holistic appreciation ” of fine jewellery . She says : “ What makes it different from reading a book or blog about jewellery is that students interact with me and my team through the class forums and the assignments I will set at the end of each lesson . It is this interaction I think that makes these courses more engaging and students have a higher completion rate .”
Hoping to build a genuine , raw passion for the trade , Hardy states that she wants her students to look beyond the “ monetary value ” of jewellery and “ encourage a thirst ” for it as a work of art with rich , historical value .
With a career past as a goldsmith , De Beers ’ rough diamond valuer , polished diamond dealer and Sotheby ’ s auctioneer , Hardy has a wealth of knowledge to impart into her future students . However , considering her varied experience in the trade spanning three decades , she does not consider her jewellery school to be an easy , fast-track route into the industry . She says : “ My main piece of advice that I hope to instil in my students is to be inquisitive : asking questions and having a passion for the subject will help you to always learn more and see new things .” Considering herself to still be learning new things after 35 years in the trade , Hardy quips , “ this appreciation is built up over time ”.
Hardy ’ s lessons will take place in small classes , where students will be encouraged and expected to help each other with assignments , creating a sense of community and further reinforcing the sense of self-development and independent learning . Because of the format of Learning With Experts , there is a confidence that the typical isolation associated with online learning will be remedied by the way the school is run . As with many online schools , the choice to take on further education is completely up to the student , and the results depend heavily on how much each individual invests into the process so Hardy hopes that the setup will prove to be an effective way to get the students learning proactively .
‘‘
With a career past as a goldsmith , De Beers ’ rough diamond valuer , polished diamond dealer and Sotheby ’ s auctioneer , Hardy has a wealth of knowledge to impart into her future students
‘‘
28 JEWELLERY FOCUS
August 2017 | jewelleryfocus . co . uk