How did you learn this set of skills? What training have you pursued? The Jewellery and Metal Program at Georgian College gave me some great knowledge on the tools required. It taught me about the full making process from lost wax carving, fabrication, casting, CAD design, drawing, repairs and basic stone setting. It also prepared me on the business side of the trade, showing me how to keep track of sales of product/inventory as well bookkeeping. I fell in love immediately with the trade. When I began learning the basics of stone setting in my last year at the program, I learned how to set a single bezel setting. This was a great starter, however, I wanted to go more in-depth in my learning with more technical techniques like pavé, channel, bead, and flush setting. I ended up buying a microscope in school and would practice these types of settings on my own time after class. I would incorporate the techniques I would teach myself into some of my class projects, although I was never graded on the settings since they weren’t part of the curriculum. After I graduated, I knew stone setting was what I wanted to focus on and further my training. I wanted to learn from the best, therefore I did my research and found the prestigious Alexandre Sidorov optical diamond setting school in Antwerp, Belgium. This was the game changer for me. I made my way to Belgium for three months for very intensive training with Alexandre. I poured everything I had into this training and really took it seriously. It pushed my abilities, and I took in all of this great knowledge while refining my skills. This was the best experience in my life.
If you’d like to read more about Maxime’s time training at the Alexandre School, be sure to check out the 5 Artists, 5 Questions article in Issue No.06 of Learn!
Learn ISSUE No.07
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