Olivia Nolff served an internship then was offered a job as a
jeweler. Nolff is wearing a Tiffany & Co. golden link necklace.
Photo Credit:
courtesy of Tiffany & Co.
Standing in back row at left is JP Stuhlreyer, '23, and his fellow
Métiers d’Excellence apprentices at their Cumberland, Rhode Island, facility.
Photo Credit:
courtesy of Tiffany & Co.
The emphasis on creating jewelry is one of the more unique paths at
Grand Valley.
An optional concentration for students pursuing a bachelor of fine
arts degree, the jewelry and metalsmithing program is one of only four
offered in Michigan that produce the next generation of artists in the
jewelry industry.
One former student and one alumnus are shining like diamonds at the
top of their field. Both are employed by Tiffany & Co, the
multi-billion-dollar company that has been produced high-quality
jewelry since 1837.
JP Stuhlreyer JP Stuhlreyer, ’23, works as an apprentice bench jeweler for
Tiffany & Co.
Stuhlreyer works in a manufacturing facility in Cumberland, Rhode
Island. It’s a place not known to many, and it's hours away from
Tiffany’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York, but it houses
some of the world's finest silversmiths. This is where athletic awards
like the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy and the U.S. Open Cup for Major
League Soccer are created. This facility also produces solid silver
bowls that are imbued with Tiffany’s famed Audubon patterns, a piece
first introduced in 1875.
“It has been an absolute amazing experience, getting to learn from
and work with some of the best in the world," said Stuhlreyer.
“Many of my mentors have years and years in the fine jewelry industry
and with Tiffany. Their expertise has been limitless.”
Originally an engineering major, Struhlreyer said he had no idea he
was going to eventually move into the world of fine jewelry. Having
previously built skateboards, Struhlreyer thought that graphic design
would be the next logical step in his education. It was only until he
took an introductory jewelry class as an elective that he found his
love for creating jewelry.
“It was this ability to create something beautiful and special. Many
of my first projects became gifts for my mother or girlfriend, and
that feeling became addictive, to watch someone be amazed at something
you created. With fine jewelry, the ability to create something
amazing is endless,” said Struhlreyer.
Now halfway through his two-year apprenticeship program, Struhlreyer
said his success and ability to keep up with the pace of his training
is thanks to the wide variety of styles and techniques he learned at
GVSU and from his former professor Renee Zettle-Sterling, professor of
jewelry, metalsmithing and foundations.
“The design-based approach and wide variety of styles we learned gave
us a wide swath of knowledge, and usually not within fine jewelry. It
helps people decide where they want to go in the dozens of jewelry and
metalworking fields, whether that is fabrication, repair or design,”
said Struhlreyer.
Olivia Nolff Olivia Nolff earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from
the University of Michigan. She had plans to go law school and become
a lawyer. After working in a jewelry store, she decided to make a
change and began looking at art schools. Nolff toured GVSU’s jewelry
program and met Zettle-Sterling.
“She was super kind, colorful, and that helped showed me this was the
place I wanted to be. She would continue to show her kindness and
dedication even after I started classes and began expressing interest
in fine jewelry,” said Nolff.
Zettle-Sterling spent additional time with Nolff outside of class,
teaching jewelry techniques like tube settings for stones. Nolff's
additional interest led Zettle-Sterling to encourage her to apply to
an apprenticeship program.
Nolff was one of two interns selected to work at Tiffany & Co’s
service center located in Queens, New York. She is being trained in
repairs and jewelry maintenance and has begun to work on customer products.
“It has been really exciting, moving from messing with scrap metal,
and cleaning casting plume chains, to repairing what might be
someone’s prized piece of jewelry,” said Nolff.
Nolff and her fellow intern had the opportunity to present their
ideas for accessible jewelry to their supervisors. They designed two
prototypes of necklace chains that could be removed with one hand
rather than two, making it more convenient for all users.
As she neared the end of her 10-week internship program, Nolff was
offered a full-time jeweler position with Tiffany & Co, which she
recently accepted.
Visiting professors Laurel Fulton and Natalie Lowe played a huge role
in training these students, Zettle-Sterling said. She added Nolff and
Struhlreyer have similar stories to other jewerly and metalsmithing
students who have found their own right opportunities.
“Our program is not geared toward working in the high-end jewelry
industry, but I am pleased to say that our students can compete with
and thrive in this environment," said Zettling-Sterling. "It
makes me realize that we are finding a good balance of techniques,
design development, and concepts being taught in the curriculum
providing future outlets for our students to succeed.”
— Thomas Garrett earned a bachelor's degree in writing from GVSU
in April.
Three French professors received an award from the Reacting Consortium; their prize money will launch a November conference for high school and college instructors to invigorate their classrooms.
October 1, 2024 (Volume 48, Number 3)
Article by
Peg West