Most jewelers are men. Am I right?

[Arkteia]

I really do not want to sound feministic but most of the vendors, cutters and jewelers that I have seen are men. I know only one cutter who is a woman, and there are several jewelers that CS participants seem to use, but in general, the percentage of males in the business seems to be quite high. Is it an observation bias, or am I right?

And if I am right, why is it so? Did it happen historically? Say, there was a big trade house which started 80 years ago when most of businesses were run by males and men in the family would continue the family business? And are we going to see more women in the field in the next generation?

I do not want to offend anyone and so I have to repeat myself that I do not want to sound feministic, just curious.

My first explanation was that guys were more interested in "playing" with technological stuff, but then I reminded myself that many of my female friends could fix a tire, repair broken vacuum cleaners or even do some plumbing jobs with much more ease than their husbands, so there should be another reason.

I would also like to know if the trend is the same in European countries.

 

[Circe]

Um ... Crasru? What''s wrong with sounding like a feminist? Because in attempting to avoid whoever those people who hate feminists out there might be ( ... misogynists?), you''re actually offending me. I''m a happy believer in equal rights for women. Where''s the problem with that?

As for the jewelry industry''s being somewhat XX-chromosome deficient ... it''s partly historical, partly cultural, and partly social. I grew up in the jewelry industry: my dad was a colored stone dealer before he retired. He discouraged me from entering the field because he saw it as being male-dominated for reasons of religion and tradition that he thought would make my life more complicated then it needed to be (everything from old-school dealers being less willing to deal with a chick to mostly-male cutting houses having girlie calenders on the walls). I happen to think my dad was wrong, and that that sort of thing just perpetuates the problem (and I''m backing my way into the business now, anyway). But I do think the jewelry industry tends to be family business oriented, and that it''s a nurture thing rather than a nature thing: in a fairly traditional field, you''re going to be reinforcing one set of messages pretty heavily. I have the feeling that a lot of the women in the biz are first-gen, or that they''re the products of unusually encouraging and permissive families, though that could be apocryphal.

I look forward to reading additional comments, as I think this has the potential to be a really interesting discussion ....

 

[HVVS]

One local jewelry store has a female bench jeweler. I don't think she does much custom work, but I could be wrong.

The dealer that I bought my big gaudy platinum cocktail ring mounting grow up in the jewelry business. Her father was a jeweler. But she only did sales.

There are always going to be women who chose flex-time careers that allow them to be home at regular hours to do child rearing and family life. Maybe the heavy workload and the huge time demands of the rush seasons like Christmas and Valentine's Day and June weddings are too demanding for bench work to be attractive to moms. As a childless single, I've picked up a lot of OT on evenings, weekends, and holidays, just because the family people don't want to be at work at those times.

Edit: hahahaha! The cutting houses have GIRLIE calendars on the walls?? Now really. I expected those guys to act a little more upscale than that. Now I'll always think of them as garage mechanics. You have shattered my illusions, hehe.

 

[ksinger]

Date: 3/10/2010 12:13:48 PM
Author:crasru
I really do not want to sound feministic but most of the vendors, cutters and jewelers that I have seen are men. I know only one cutter who is a woman, and there are several jewelers that CS participants seem to use, but in general, the percentage of males in the business seems to be quite high. Is it an observation bias, or am I right?

And if I am right, why is it so? Did it happen historically? Say, there was a big trade house which started 80 years ago when most of businesses were run by males and men in the family would continue the family business? And are we going to see more women in the field in the next generation?

I do not want to offend anyone and so I have to repeat myself that I do not want to sound feministic, just curious.

My first explanation was that guys were more interested in ''playing'' with technological stuff, but then I reminded myself that many of my female friends could fix a tire, repair broken vacuum cleaners or even do some plumbing jobs with much more ease than their husbands, so there should be another reason.

I would also like to know if the trend is the same in European countries.

Yeah ditto on the no apologies for being a feminist. It''s hardly a dirty word - I wonder where you got the idea that noticing that there are differences between the professions of men and women, could in any way be offensive. IMO, the success of feminism is exactly WHY young women particularly, can act as if it either didn''t happen or no longer matters. Kinda sad, but maybe inevitable. So don''t apologize. (end philosophical jack)

One thing that I''ve noted is that many really excellent designers are women. One in my home state, Valerie Naifeh, started out her jewelry career as a bench jeweler, but found there was more money in designing and selling. I could go down a long list of female jewelry designers, Temple St. Clare, Jude Frances, and more.

FYI - My aunt is a silversmith and I''m slowly learning myself, so we girls DO like the tools and gadgets. Mmmm....Fretz hammers!! Dapping sets!! TORCH!!

 

[Kaleigh]

I have three jewelers that are women... But yes in general most are men. Us women are catching up!!!!!

 

[PumpkinPie]

hey Circe - you stole my line! nothing wrong with being a feminist - many wonderful people are.. like me!

 

[chrono]

While it may be a male dominated profession, much like certain other professions, I know of at least 3 local female benchpersons. They do not do the sale part but actually make the settings, set the stones, and all that wonderful hands on work. In fact, it seems like many Etsy setters/jewellers are female?

 

[kenny]

I''m a feminist and I''m a guy.

When did equality become a dirty word?

 

[PumpkinPie]

Kenny - not that I didn`t like you before, but I think I love you now! and yes I`m new to posting, but I`ve been a lurker for ages.. does that make it more or less creepy?
either way - we need more male feminists!

 

[TheDoctor]

I was told by a former employer a few eons ago that he would never hire a woman for bench work, period. "Too fussy about their nails".
Yes, our hands take a beating and can become quite gruesome looking if not given remedial care daily.

In Europe, there is a whole lotta estrogen in jewellery manufacturing. The graduates of technical schools specializing in the jewellery arts are primarily women. I''d estimate a 20 to 1 ratio.
There are a great deal of hobby jewellers in North America who are women but remarkably few making a full-time living from working on jewellery.
I suppose this may be due to the fact that there are far easier ways to earn a living than by doing bench work. Old school still rules in hiring, and there are fewer apprenticeships available to prospective bench people. Stringin'' beads ain''t no prerequisite. Industrial Arts education, maybe...

The best pave'' work to ever come out of my shop is accomplished by a young woman. She basically took my job away from me.
One of the cool attributes women possess that many men don''t is that little voice in their heads that constantly asks "Is this going to be good enough?" It''s exactly that phobia, the fear of being connected to something inferior, that drives them to excellence. The jewellery industry needs women.

So, it''s changing. Chicks will eventually rule. About time.

 

[Pandora II]

The companies I worked for, the male: female ratio for bench work was about 1 man to every 10 women.

The designers were about 50/50.

Sales and Admin were almost all female.

My FGA class is almost 50/50.

So, at least in Europe it''s getting pretty even.

 

[kenny]

Well, I''m more an equalist than a feminist.
I am not really pro-any group.

All humans are equal, or rather should be.

 

[princesss]

Date: 3/11/2010 4:22:16 PM
Author: kenny
Well, I''m more an equalist than a feminist.
I am not really pro-any group.

All humans are equal, or rather should be.

 

[PumpkinPie]

Date: 3/11/2010 5:36:25 PM
Author: princesss

Date: 3/11/2010 4:22:16 PM

Author: kenny

Well, I''m more an equalist than a feminist.

I am not really pro-any group.


All humans are equal, or rather should be.

agreed! but i think feminist=equalist - it''s just the bad reputation it has as being more/different than that

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 3/10/2010 7:47:40 PM
Author: Circe
Um ... Crasru? What's wrong with sounding like a feminist? Because in attempting to avoid whoever those people who hate feminists out there might be ( ... misogynists?), you're actually offending me. I'm a happy believer in equal rights for women. Where's the problem with that?


As for the jewelry industry's being somewhat XX-chromosome deficient ... it's partly historical, partly cultural, and partly social. I grew up in the jewelry industry: my dad was a colored stone dealer before he retired. He discouraged me from entering the field because he saw it as being male-dominated for reasons of religion and tradition that he thought would make my life more complicated then it needed to be (everything from old-school dealers being less willing to deal with a chick to mostly-male cutting houses having girlie calenders on the walls). I happen to think my dad was wrong, and that that sort of thing just perpetuates the problem (and I'm backing my way into the business now, anyway). But I do think the jewelry industry tends to be family business oriented, and that it's a nurture thing rather than a nature thing: in a fairly traditional field, you're going to be reinforcing one set of messages pretty heavily. I have the feeling that a lot of the women in the biz are first-gen, or that they're the products of unusually encouraging and permissive families, though that could be apocryphal.


I look forward to reading additional comments, as I think this has the potential to be a really interesting discussion ....

I am not apologizing for being a feminist and really, I am not opinionated at all. But gemworld is new to me, so I was afraid that the trend I started noticing was just an observation bias. You have to walk on eggshells since people's opinions in the US are highly polarized on many issues.

I am glad that my observation has some validity to it. I am holding "Masters", a new book featuring best designers, and a ratio of males:females is 3:1. I am very happy that Renee Newman, a female jeweler, wrote a book featuring many female designers. They deserve it!

Circe...This girls in calendars...Did they wear jewelry?

 

[HVVS]

Circe...This girls in calendars...Did they wear jewelry?

I thought about asking that question, lol.