For the first time ever, Jewelry Design is now offered as a semester long elective in Upper School.  Jewelry Design is a class where students create wearable and functional jewelry pieces. 

Originally, this class was only available in Middle School. However, as students transitioned to Upper School, some requested to continue the course.  

“I was really happy that this course was an option as I was interested to further my skills,” freshman Parker King said.  

Jewelry Design is led by Upper School Arts Department Chair Leann Burns, whose said her lifelong passion for jewelry started when she was in middle school. 

For middle school, Burns has been teaching Jewelry Design for four years. Freshman Sarah Grossfeld shared Burns’ excitement about teaching Upper School helped the class atmosphere. 

“She really focuses on letting us take our time and create a piece that comes out to our best possible product,” King said. 

Students in Upper School have longer classes, which allows them to hone in on their artistic details. 

“Jewelry is an interesting art form because it requires functionality, and it requires a very high level of detail,” Burns said. 

Students are also given the opportunity to express their creativity through wearing their own pieces. One of Burns’ favorite projects to assign to students is the Blue and White Ceramics Project.  

This project consists of two students collaborating to make a total of six jewelry pieces that all follow similar patterns and designs. They begin with learning about the origins of blue and white ceramics in China and how it eventually expanded across the world. With this research, students are then able to create their own personalized pieces. 

“The students really excel in designing wise with that project,” Burns said. “They’re also creating a collection instead of just one piece so it’s really cool because they have to create a presentation of six pieces that all go together as collection.” 

Burns is optimistic that higher quality work will be produced by Upper School students. 

“I think that my favorite piece that a student has made will likely come out this year because of the new Upper School class,” Burns said. 

To achieve this, students are taught to use tools such as torches and saws.

“Once they learn to do it, they get very excited, and they get very proud of themselves,” Burns said. 

One of the major goals that this class helps achieve is spreading the message that jewelry is a time-consuming and difficult activity, but in the end it’s all worth it, Grossfeld said.  

“I now know that it’s a process, you don’t have to go in and be automatically good and everything you do because there’s new skills and ideas that you will develop as you learn.” King said.  

Junior Ava John now has her first piece that she made this year on display in the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center for others to admire.  

“We just made necklaces using only wire. I made an asymmetrical necklace, and it looks really good,” John said. 

According to King students in this course have a lot of free will that helps students achieve their goals, King said. 

“The most rewarding part about teaching this class is seeing the kids’ excitement at seeing what they are able to make,” Burns said.