Apprentice Jeweller Jasmine Thomas was initially resistant to join her family’s business, however the pull towards working with her hands, restoring meaningful pieces, and designing and creating something from start-to-finish was just too strong. Now, with Manufacturing Skills Queensland’s Women in Trades Mentoring Program, Jasmine is dually focused on becoming a skillful jeweller, and her career development.
“I was always good at sketching, loved working on little projects, and loved my design and technology classes at school – I actually topped my grade,” Jasmine began.
“And as a starting, school-based apprentice (Certificate III in Jewellery Manufacture) I was fortunate enough to be runner-up for the ‘Rising Stars’ competition at TAFE Queensland.
“We had to design and handmake a piece on the theme of ‘Alchemy’, and at the time I was up against full-time apprentices in their first and second years,” she explained.
Despite displaying this early talent for jewellery-making, Jasmine was resistant to joining her family’s established and well-known jewellery business – Indooroopilly Family Jewellers – instead opting to pursue another of her interests – health – upon graduating high school.
Jasmine had enrolled to study nutrition and dietetics at university and although she performed well, she quickly realised it wasn’t for her.
“One assignment in and I knew it wasn’t my path,” she said.
One year later, she jumped back into her Certificate III in Jewellery Manufacture apprenticeship and hasn’t looked back.
“I love making things from scratch, and I love the creative side of it, the attention to detail, and the sentimentality of working with family heirlooms, and creating new ones,” Jasmine said.
“It is a very old trade and something that takes a lot of time and commitment – you don’t just sit down at the bench, solder something once and feel you’re good to go.
“It is very tricky – very fine, painstaking work – expect lots of hand cramps – but there’s just something so satisfying about starting with raw materials and turning them into something beautiful,” she said.
When Jasmine’s not in the family workshop (alongside her father, mother, two sisters and brother) she’s completing her training; studying gemology through the Gemmological Association of Australia and hopes to complete her Valuer’s qualification after that.
“I’ve got five qualified jewellers in my family, so I’m really pushing myself to learn everything I can and build my own path and skills,” she said.
And while this once male-dominated industry is now changing – at least from a ‘classroom numbers’ perspective – Jasmine was still keen to embrace female advice and mentorship, which led her to apply for Manufacturing Skills Queensland’s Women in Trades Mentoring Program.
“I received the email (about the program) and thought – ‘this could be a great opportunity to learn more, broaden my horizons and connect with others in trades’,” said Jasmine.
“I told my whole family, applied for it, sent the email off and was very excited when I found out I was accepted,” she said.
Jasmine was matched with a female mentor from a sustainable battery casing company based in Northgate.
“We first met at the program’s launch breakfast and we’ve had a couple of in-person meetings so far – I can email or text her anytime,” Jasmine shared.
“My Mentor is really focused on helping me to build me as a person – not just as someone within the family business, and I really value that,” she said.
Given these positive experiences Jasmine encourages other women to be open to being mentored via the program, saying: “Just go for it – honestly. It’s such a good opportunity to meet people, understand other trades, and grow as a person.”
Not surprisingly Jasmine is equally supportive about more women joining the jeweller profession.
“It’s such a satisfying job. It’s hard work, but if you love being hands-on, if you’ve got that creative spark – you’ll love it,” she finished.
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