Jewellery Design and Manufacturing

The National Diploma in Jewellery Design and Manufacturing is offered in Virginia at the Harmony Jewellery School , which is equipped with some of the best training laboratories in Southern Africa . The focus of this programme is not only on providing training in jewellery manufacturing and design, but also on preparing a student to find work in a jewellery factory or start his/her own business. The programme is the only training programme in South Africa that is linked to a major gold producer. Students also receive training in rapid prototyping systems in association with the university’s Faculty of Engineering, Information and Communication Technology.

Admission to the National Diploma in Jewellery Design and Manufacturing is limited to a small and select group of students due to the specialised nature and high cost of this programme. Prospective students must apply to the Central University of Technology, Free State for admission to the programme. Prospective students must complete an orientation programme, after which they enter the selection process for the programme. Students may be admitted to the programme if, in addition to the normal university admission requirements, they are active in the jewellery industry or have relevant work experience in jewellery design and manufacturing. Prospective students may also be admitted directly to the programme if, in addition to the normal university admission requirements, they submit a portfolio deemed to be of an exceptionally high standard. 

The Harmony Gold-Mining Company has committed itself to making some bursaries available to selected and committed students wishing to develop a career in the jewellery industry. One of the aims of these bursaries is to assist those students who do not have the means to pay for their studies. These bursaries are subject to certain requirements specified by Harmony and the School of Design Technology and Visual Art, Central University of Technology, Free State. Generous bursaries are also available from the Mining Qualifications Authority.

Please direct your enquiries to the Manager of the Jewellery School in Virginia , Harmony Jewellery Park , Tel. 057 231 2229 (alta.wessels@harmony.co.za), or to the Director: School of Design Technology and Visual Art, Central University of Technology, Free State, Private Bag X20539, Bloemfontein 9300, Tel. 051 507 3184 ( rudi@cut.ac.za).