Teen Gems is a 12-week jewelry-making course offered free of cost to New York City public high school students. The class covers basic jewelry techniques such as fabrication, soldering, basic wax carving, casting, and basic stone settings. Students will begin to learn the properties of metal through sawing, piecing, and forming. Fabrication will be focused on bezel and tube settings for cabochon or round faceted stones. The final project of wax carving will cover the carving of wax for casting, ring sizing in wax, and a basic carved setting. The course will also include lectures with artists and professionals in the jewelry industry.

The Teen Gems program offers access to jewelry studio equipment, training, and mentorship to students with an interest in art and design. The opportunity to experience a mastery of skills will help build overall confidence in art making, leadership skills, and a glimpse into potential career opportunities. Conversations with arts professionals will foster a professional network to support students as they progress through their high school art design experience and navigate selecting a career path.

Jonathan Wahl, director of the 92NY Jewelry Center explains the impetus for the project:

There is little to no access to jewelry studios for teens in NYC. Learning the skills of soldering and fabrication, learning to master fire – these are life-changing experiences. With a mix of skill-building and conversations with jewelers in the field, this program will build bridges to foster personal growth and perhaps a life in the arts, an avenue that a teen might not have the access to dream about outside of this experience.

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If you have questions about this program, please contact Jonathan Wahl, Director of 92NY Jewelry Center.

“As part of our Building Forever commitment to increase diversity in the diamond jewellery sector De Beers Group is proud to sponsor the Teen Gems course at The 92nd St Y. Teen Gems offers students a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience of the magic of jewellery making, an experience that can be difficult to access if we are not deliberate about it. The jewellery industry is an exciting one, full of creativity, innovation and expression as well as great care, skill and craft. We hope this programme continues to thrive and to inspire the talented youth of New York.”
— De Beers Group