Ask-a-Geologist #13: Do I Need a Geology Degree to be a Jewelry Designer?

Do I need a degree in geology to become a jewelry designer?

Hi everyone! We get some great questions at Mini Me Geology and today we have another very interesting one about possible careers in geology. Christina is an aspiring jewelry designer and is wondering if having a geology degree to learn about minerals, crystals, and gemstone is necessary for her career.

Are Geology Degrees necessary for Jewelry Artists?

Christina wrote to us and asked, “I am a 26-year-old aspiring jewelry designer. I have always been fascinated by rocks and stones. I like to use natural materials in my jewelry, rather than glass or plastic. Would geology be a good place to start? It sounds like there would be a few years of school before I could make this dream happen. I didn’t see this type of career listed and would like to know if I’m on the right track. My dream would be to eventually open a store where I make all of the merchandise.”

What Christina is referring to when she says that she did not see the career listed is an article we have on the website about different careers in geology. Well Christina, I think this is a great question because the career you want as a jewelry designer is not the same as a geologist but since you want to use natural rocks and minerals in your designs it would really help you to know some of the things that geologists learn in school.

Jewelry Designer or Geologist

If I were you, I would not get a college degree in geology. While some of the classes would be useful for you, a lot of the classes you would be required to take for your degree would have nothing useful for you as a jewelry designer. If you pursue a geology degree is will be expensive and not all of it would be useful.

Now if you are working on a college degree and your school requires science credits for graduation or if you just want to ask to audit a few classes, I would suggest that you take the first introduction to geology class where they teach you about rocks and minerals and usually have the classic “rock test” and a mineralogy class where you will learn more detail about the formation of minerals which are most commonly the stones that jewelry designers use.

If attending a class is not a possibility for you, I recently posted a list of my absolute favorite rock and mineral books on our blog that I have in my own library. These books can give you some great introductory information about different rocks and minerals and you can always email me and I’d be happy to help you learn about rocks and minerals.  I hope this helps you a little bit Christina and I sure would love to see your jewelry when you get your business up and running.

Send Us Your Ask-a-Geologist Questions!

Do you have questions about geology? Submit your Ask-a-Geologist question and we just may answer you in our next video!
Join our company newsletter for fun geology information and great savings on your favorite rocks, minerals, and fossils!
We would love to hear from you on social media too. Join us on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiniMeGeology/
Instagram: @MiniMeGeology
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/minimegeology/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/minimegeology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mini-me-geology-giverny-inc-/

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.