In a recent open letter to the jewelry retail community, David Geller made a passionate and articulate plea to hire more bench jewelers and pay them better. If you are training to be a jeweler — or interested in becoming a jeweler — there is good money to be made. Your options include working for independent designers, jewelry manufacturers, trade shops, yourself, or jewelry retail stores. There's no doubt that many retailers are paying their jewelers well and marketing the benefits of having an in-house jeweler. But for those jewelry stores who don't seem to understand the power of employing talented, committed, well-paid jewelers, Mr. Geller speaks the truth.  The jewelry retail community requires in-house jewelers to remain relevant and interesting to the consumers, and this open letter conveys the reasons why.

Read Mr. Geller's open letter here.

Craftsmanship, artisan products, and value are attributes that consumers care about more than ever. When you are a jeweler, you can deliver those qualities, while doing a job you love. Thank you, Mr. Geller, for your important letter to the industry. The BEaJEWELER crew has printed it and hung it by our desks!