Advanced Stone Setting with Blaine Lewis

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• Course Description
• Tuition
• Schedule

• We know first hand how frustrating it can be dealing with the many intricate settings and designs in jewelry today. We teach you hands-on expert techniques that will help you set both colored stones and diamonds in challenging settings with confidence, using the latest technology and time-saving techniques.

  In just five days, you will gain a new perspective on the ways you can be more efficient, skilled and professional no matter what design you dream up, or are faced with at the bench. With tips and techniques you won't learn anywhere else, and real-world examples, all at a professionally stocked jeweler bench with high-end tools, you will learn countless advanced stone setting techniques.

  Jewelers with intermediate stone setting experience are amazed at how fast they learn in this truly extraordinary class, while advanced stone setters are impressed with the wealth of new concepts they learn. The innovative techniques taught in this hands-on workshop dramatically improve craftsmanship, speed, and confidence, improving productivity and profitability immediately. (For tuition and class dates, click on tabs to the right of description)

  Essential Skills Learned in Advanced Stone Setting:

  • Heavy Bezel Setting
  • Flush Setting including colored stones
  • Prong Setting Fancies, including Princess Cut
  • Inlaid Channel
  • Open & Closed Channel Setting
  • Bead and Bright Cut Setting
  • Thread Setting
  • Pave Settings
  • Tapered Baguette
  • Micro Fish Tail
  • Proper use and handling of Gravers for Stone Setting and Graver Sharpening
  • Pre-requisites: Stone Setting Comprehensive

• Tuition: $1,318.78 includes tuition, kit materials fee and applicable sales tax. (Tuition is $1,220, kit fee and materials are $90, and tax is $8.78)

  ONE-FEE GUARANTEE: New Approach is unique. We don't require you to buy or bring your own tools to attend our classes. All you need to bring is your personal optics, like an opti-visor and 10x eye-loupe, if you have them. If not, we will provide them for you to use in class.

  The use of professional bench and tools is included. There is no requirement to purchase or bring tools for this class.

  During the registration process, a $200 deposit is necessary to reserve your spot in the class. The remainder of tuition and kit fee is due by the first day of class.

  Pre-requisites: This is an advanced class, designed for jewelers who have taken Stone Setting Comprehensive, and implemented the skills learned for at least 6 months prior to signing up for Advanced Stone Setting. 

• Dates:

  • February 17th through February 21st, 2020
  • June 15th through June 19th, 2020
  • Instructors: Blaine Lewis and Drew Hadley

Student Perspectives:

"For years I've said the three most important tools for stone setting were a microscope, micro-motor, and a GRS tool. I was wrong. The most important tool is the Advanced Stone Setting class at the New Approach School. Blaine's teaching skills and tips are top notch. I can't recommend a trip to New Approach School enough." - Chris Ploof

"I truly had an excellent experience. Blaine is a great teacher and really amazing at explaining technique. I feel like I really learned a lot of skills and new ways of setting that will save me time but not compromise quality. All the little tips and tricks were so valuable. I should also say that I have a hard time in lecture settings hearing and paying attention. I found his visual method of teaching to keep me really engaged." - Colleen Matthews

"I feel much more confident about stone setting and this will enable me to be more efficient and profitable at work. My other education has been Art School, and was much less trade oriented. I really enjoyed the way Blaine related jewelry specific situations to other things like ship-building and construction, and applied common sense to problems that I have a tendency to overthink." - Chris Tuller

"Blaine is as enthusiastic and excited a teacher as I have encountered. He's great at getting students to think instead of following given steps. I would recommend this program above any others." - Susan McDonough

"Blaine puts everything into perspective so it makes sense. This was just a great positive experience with so much knowledge to gain! Blaine is the best teacher I have ever known." - Benjamin Edwards

Bench Jeweler Comprehensive with Blaine Lewis

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• Course Description
• Tuition
• Schedule

• Our Bench Jeweler Comprehensive is a core class at NASJ, teaching you the fundamentals of being a successful, confident jeweler. With expert instruction on sawing, piercing, soldering, jewelry repair, polishing and more, this is an excellent fundamental course to take. With in-depth examples and demonstrations that clarify these concepts, you will walk away from this class with new confidence and excitement about sawing, filing, torch theory, repairs, tool use and finishing your jewelry. Our video integrated classroom is the ideal environment for learning the intricate techniques of bench jewelry. (For tuition and class dates, click on tabs to the right of description)

  Essential skills included in the Bench Jeweler Comprehensive:

  • Torch Set-Up and Safety 
  • Jeweler Bench Set-Up - covering safety, comfort, and ergonomics
  • Proper setup and use of the Flex-shaft
  • Proper use and identification of hand tools, including hand files, hammers and jewelers saw
  • Soldering
  • Sawing
  • Filing
  • Polishing and Finishing using proper polishing compounds
  • Chain Repair Techniques, including identification of chain styles and configurations and effective soldering techniques for repair
  • Ring Re-Tipping and Re-Pronging 
  • Ring Re-Sizing up and down
  • Head and Shank Assembly
  • Pre-requisites: None, Open to all levels of experience

   

• Tuition: $1268.78 includes tuition, kit materials fee and applicable sales tax. (Tuition is $1170, kit fee with tax is $90, and tax is $8.78)

  ONE-FEE GUARANTEE New Approach is unique. We don't require you to buy or bring your own tools to attend our classes. All you need to bring is your personal optics, like an OptiVisor and 10x eye-loupe, if you have them. If not, we will provide them for you to use in class.

  Use of professional bench and tools is included. There is no requirement to purchase books or tools for this class.

  During the registration process, a $200 deposit is necessary to reserve your spot in the class. The remainder of tuition and kit fee is due by the first day of class.

  Pre-requisites: There are no pre-requisites for this class.

• Dates:

  • January 27th through January 31st, 2020
  • June 1st through June 5th, 2020
  • August 3rd through August 7th, 2020 

Instructors: Blaine Lewis & Drew Hadley

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Counter Sketching & Color Rendering with Rémy Rotenier

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• Course Description
• Tuition
• Schedule

• Rémy is a talented artist and a natural teacher. Whether you have experience drawing and painting, or none at all, Rémy loves to lead you toward confidence by sharing tips and techniques on how to sketch your designs to bring your jewelry to life in front of the customer. Starting with a pencil to shape, and shade and contour, then moving on to adding dimension with paint, Rémy can teach you in this powerful five-day workshop what you have always wanted to learn.

  Learn how to develop your design skills with our Master Series artist, Rémy Rotenier, who is a truly caring, devoted and talented instructor, and has earned great respect from our students. "The first day they always say they can't draw, they are not an artist, but I help them to see that they really are. I give them the tools to access this skill, develop it, and it changes their careers," explains Rémy. (For tuition and class dates, click on tabs to the right of description)

  Essential Skills Learned Counter Sketching & Color Rendering:

  • Begin with black and white sketching and rendering
  • Develop your ability to rapidly express your ideas and visually explain and refine a custom project with a customer
  • Feel confident while creating powerful drawings, helping you to communicate ideas, work out problems and refine designs on paper, then translate them into your custom fabricated designs
  • Progress beyond the basic techniques for rendering lustrous metals and brilliant gemstones in professional-quality paintings in the European tradition
  • Through the masterful demonstrations by your Paris trained instructor, you will see metal, gemstones and other materials come to life
  • Each student will create individual gouache paintings of their own designs
  • Pre-requisites: None, Open to all levels of experience

• Tuition:$1,179.63 (Tuition is $1,015, Kit fee and materials are $150 and tax is $14.63)

  ONE-FEE GUARANTEE New Approach is unique. We don't require you to buy or bring your own tools to attend our classes.

  During the registration process, a $200 deposit is necessary to reserve your spot in the class. The remainder of tuition and kit fee is due by the first day of class. 

  Pre-requisites: There are no pre-requisites for this workshop, all levels of experience are welcome.  

• Dates:

  • July 13th-17th, 2020

Instructor: Remy Rotenier

Student Perspectives:

"Not only is [Rémy] an extremely skilled artist, but he is a very good teacher. His classes are well prepared, his materials very helpful, and his attitude is friendly and caring. Everyone in the class walked away with a vastly improved skill level, no matter what level they came in with. I believe that anyone who takes a class with Rémy will be making a valuable investment in their future career as a jeweler, metal smith or designer. At the end of his workshop they will be able to sell their work just by drawing it!" - Elichai Fowler, Montana

"I had no compasses, no rulers, no vector based software---but there I was designing, as part of a fantastic counter-sketching workshop with Rémy Rotenier. . . [He] had us drawing without tools or templates. And though it took me a few hours to get past the initial discomfort, I soon was scribbling and drawing and having fun. Ditching my usual tools helped me to explore new facets of creativity. . . I am having fun getting lost in the creative process, without the distraction of my tools. And getting lost on purpose takes me to the place where magic happens." - Kate Wolf - Maine

"I had the pleasure of working with Rémy Rotenier in which some of our time was dedicated to his teachings of jewelry rendering. I have been designing for many years but will be forever thankful for the techniques he showed me. It has opened up a new way for me to look at and improve my own work by guiding me to a way to see things differently than what I was able to easily do on my own." - Jill Suddendorf