AOD launches Jewellery Design diploma course in collaboration with Sri Lanka Gem & Jewellery Association to foster a new breed of creative innovators to herald a new era for the local gem and jewellery industry 

Sri Lanka’s gem and jewellery industry has been one of the longest standing forex generators and economic contributors of the country. Centuries old, this luxury industry has stood the test of time and ups and downs in the market, to gain a worldwide reputation for Sri Lanka as a maker of fine jewellery and rare gemstones coveted by the rich, the famous and the royal around the globe. As industries across the world go through a innovation inspired renaissance, Sri Lanka’s gem and jewellery industry is also preparing themselves for the future through disruption, innovation and reinvention, and looking to innovate in the face of shifting economies and market situations.

Understanding how the future is based on digital trade and new ways to enterprise, the Sri Lankan jewellery industry is looking to reach its international consumers in a more effective way by collaborating with design, creative thinking and tech innovation. Answering this need, AOD—Sri Lanka’s dynamic design educator is collaborating with the gem and jewellery industry to educate and foster a new group of professional designers to lead creative innovation for the industry.

The diploma course was recently announced as a part time programme conducted by a prestigious panel of international experts in accessories and jewellery design, and successful local jewellers. In keeping with the technical know-how and standards practiced by the local gem and jewellery industry, the course will be conducted in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Gem & Jewellery Association (SLGJA), at the design and creative studios of AOD. SLGJA and AOD also announced five scholarships valued at 80% of the course fee along with guaranteed industry employment contract, for applicants who display outstanding creative ability.

Sharing more information on the course, AOD and SLGJA has also announced the impressive panel of experts coming in as the teaching faculty and the academic advisory lf the course. The academic advisory for the course will come from the internationally acclaimed jewellers Gary Wright and Sheila Teague whose education background is set in the legendary Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design in London. The duo has collaborated with mega names in the worldwide jewellery industry such as Oxfam, Swarovski and have been invited to be part of the most prestigious museum shows at the Victoria & Albert and the British Museum.

Further, their widely established name in jewellery has earned them numerous commissions for blockbuster film and television projects including Phantom of the Opera and Harry Potter. Worn by mainstream celebrities like Emma Watson and Mila Kunis, Wright and Teague is a perfect example of experts who bring together education, retail know-how and learnings from the many facets of consumer study to present the kind of jewellery that is loved and appreciated by the modern purchaser.

The course will be delivered by jewellery entrepreneur Divya Chugh from India, award-winning accessory expert Joanne Stoker from the UK, Pakistani artist and designer Masooma Syed, veteran Sri Lankan jewellery maker Mihiri Devendra and expert jewellery illustrator and designer Prabath Samarasooriya. The course has been structured to deliver everything from basic creative theory and skills to practices in design research, inspiration deriving, prototyping, crafting and new technologies, to entrepreneurial know-how such as market identification, consumer research, branding and marketing. It will introduce students to drawing, metalworking, and the history of jewellery.

As the programme enters its second semester, the students will be introduced to gemmology and CAD to deliver their first design project that follows through from research to design. The third semester will take further the students’ knowledge of gemmology and specialist metals, and also work on developing their own microrange of jewellery. This course content will be delivered through workshops, lectures, tours and studio sessions. The course will be a part time Saturday programme, with a fifteen month duration including mandatory training in the gem and jewellery industry.

The registrations are now in progress with applications for the scholarship closing on the 30th of November 2017.

For more information contact 0763 427 772 or 0115867772/3.