I see women and men alike looking good in jewelry and wonder, do they think it's that easy? Well, no one really knows; I myself don't know how I've been doing it for so long. But one thing is for sure, not everyone can do it, and it's not as easy as it looks. One thing about me is that I am a jeweler, scrap that I am an artist. When I say jeweler, many people just think of the glamour and beauty of the products we make. But a jeweler is an artist, a creator; we are innovative people passionate about creating beauty out of raw materials. As a jeweler, I make adornments such as earrings, bracelets, rings, and necklaces using metals, gems, stones, and other materials. Apart from making ornaments, I do repairs, cleaning, and restoring pieces of jewelry. The challenging part of being a worker is finding the right materials for the desired jewelry. Authenticity is key, which requires us to find and use the authentic raw materials; if I want to make a gold bracelet, I look for pure gold and not a knock off. 

    Let me take you through my day; the thing with being a jeweler is that there aren't many deadlines, and the pressure is not that much. I love my work, and I do it passionately; most of my free time is used up coming up with new ideas and reading. Yes, reading about what's new and what trending, reading about people's preferences and what they need even without knowing that they need it. I am self-employed, which makes my work more comfortable and fulfilling. My typical day starts at around 8.30 in the morning, not too late for a self-employed person. In an hour, I am at the shop, ready to engage my customers and make them happy.  The shop has all kinds of jewelry in various materials and sizes, it all comes down to a client's preference, and that's where the work is. As much as I love my female customers, who make up the majority of the clients, they can really put you to work. My job is to unbiasedly help them make the right decision as to what suits them.

    The fun comes when someone is shopping for an engagement ring or the perfect birthday gift; the indecisiveness witnessed at the shop is interesting. One time I had to engrave a client's picture on a tiny ring within two hours as an apology gift to his beloved one. I can't complain, though, since the pay is worth it.  I get all sorts of unrealistic requests, but that's the joy of the work. It is being able to manipulate what the client has selected and making it into what they need.  Thanks to modern technologies, our job as jewelers has been simplified. Computer-Aided Design technology enables us to work with the client and bring their vision into reality; it's interesting to model jewelry on a computer and incorporate the use of lasers to cut gems and other precious stones. At the end of the day, despite the many challenges of remodeling ornaments into more unique pieces and interacting with undecided clients, it is all worth it.