Competence Is a Key Factor for the Future
Education and Continuing Education Are Key Issues for the Future—An Overview of Available Programs
Craftsmanship, knowledge of materials, gemology, watchmaking, design, sales—many of the elements that define the watch and jewelry industry cannot be developed overnight. It develops over the course of years, often in specialized companies, schools, and workshops. At the same time, new challenges are emerging: synthetic gemstones, supply chains, sustainability, digital technologies, AI, and new materials.
Training and continuing education thus become a strategic issue. It’s about nurturing the next generation, preserving rare skills, and ensuring that people already working in the industry continue to develop their qualifications.
The Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze, which INSIGHT recently covered in detail, demonstrates just how fundamental this topic has become. Launched in 2026, the network brings together the expertise of Kering’s brands with Italian vocational schools. Jewelry is one of the four core areas, alongside fashion, leather goods, and tailoring; technology, AI, and new materials complement traditional craftsmanship. Kering explicitly points to the growing need for qualified professionals by 2035. Kering
Kering is by no means alone in this. Richemont has been operating its own training and continuing education programs for years. These include the Cartier Jewellery Institute in Paris, which trains approximately 500 participants annually in the art of jewelry making and knowledge transfer, as well as training programs and partnerships with vocational schools and other institutions specializing in watchmaking and design. Through its Institut des Métiers d’Excellence, Richemont LVMH now offers 56 training programs across six countries; since 2014, more than 3,800 participants have been trained there.
The Swatch Group also systematically invests in the next generation. Group-wide, more than 500 apprentices are trained annually in over 50 trades; the Group’s own Nicolas G. Hayek Watchmaking Schools combine traditional watchmaking training with WOSTEP programs. In Germany, this includes training centers in Glashütte and Pforzheim.
From Newcomers to Specialists
The industry requires a wide variety of educational pathways. In addition to multi-year training programs, there are short specialized seminars, international certifications, and highly specialized vocational courses.
Continuing education in the crafts, in particular, demonstrates just how hands-on the teaching of knowledge must be. You can’t learn micro-setting, engraving, guilloché, or enameling just by reading a textbook. The Alexandre School in Antwerp, for example, offers five-day workshops and three-month programs in professional diamond setting; GRS Europe conducts intensive stone-setting programs ranging from one week to several months. grseurope.com The Pforzheim School of Goldsmithing complements this with ongoing evening and intensive courses on topics including setting, guilloché work, granulation, clasping, enameling, and chasing.
At the same time, technical knowledge remains essential. DGemG, DDI, GIA, Gem-A, and the Gübelin Academy offer a variety of introductory and advanced courses in gemology, diamonds, and colored gemstones. In the watch industry, the spectrum ranges from the FHH Academy, which provides theoretical industry and product knowledge, to WOSTEP, which offers technical specialization.
And what about specialty stores?
Expectations have changed there as well. Customers often come into the store well-informed; they are familiar with product reviews, prices, materials, and certifications, and ask more specific questions as a result. Salespeople therefore don’t need to be watchmakers or gemologists. However, they should be able to contextualize information, explain differences in quality, and recognize when specialized knowledge is necessary.
INSIGHT has already addressed this question in the article “Who Will Sell Luxury Tomorrow?” More than 90 percent of the companies surveyed by the HDE described training in this area as indispensable, while 63 percent reported difficulties in attracting suitable candidates. Insight Luxury
With the introductory seminar “Jewelry – Gemstones – Watches,” the BVJ, BVSU, and BVED, in collaboration with the DGemG, have now created a concise introduction for newcomers and those changing careers. The five-day training course covers the fundamentals of jewelry, gemstones, diamonds, pearls, and watches. Insight Luxury
In addition, new topics are emerging. Truly Precious, for example, focuses on knowledge transfer regarding sustainability and responsible supply chains—an area that INSIGHT has also recently addressed in INSIGHT-RADAR.
An Overview of Education and Continuing Education
| Area | Provider / Offer | Focus | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | Kering Academy for Excellence | Crafts, Jewelry, Technology, AI, New Materials | https://www.kering.com/en/talent/empowering-talent/kering-accademia-per-le-eccellenze/ |
| Education & Training | Richemont / Cartier Institutes | Jewelry Craftsmanship, Watchmaking, Design, Knowledge Transfer | https://www.richemont.com/talent/our-schools-academia/ |
| Education | LVMH Institute of Excellence in the Arts and Crafts | Craftsmanship, Creativity, Client Experience | https://www.lvmh.com/fr/l-engagement-en-action/pour-les-femmes-et-les-hommes/linstitut-des-metiers-dexcellence |
| Education | Swatch Group / Nicolas G. Hayek Watchmaking Schools | Watchmaking and Customer Service | https://www.swatchgroup.com/de/career/nicolas-g-hayek-watchmaking-schools |
| Specialized Trades | Alexandre School | Micro-pavé and professional gemstone setting | https://www.alexandreschool.com/ |
| Specialized Trades | GRS Europe | Stone Setting, Pavé, Engraving | https://grseurope.com/training/ |
| Specialized Trades | Pforzheim School of Goldsmithing | Beading, guilloché work, enameling, chasing, etc. | https://goldschmiedeschule.de/foerderverein/ |
| Gemmology | DGemG | Gemstones, Diamonds, Pearls, Retail Sales Skills | https://www.dgemg.com/ |
| Diamonds & Gemstones | German Diamond Institute | Grading, Syntheses, Treatments, Examination | https://ddi-pforzheim.de/bildungsakademie/seminare/ |
| Gemology / Trade | GIA | Applied Jewelry Professional, Diamonds, Colored Stones | https://www.gia.edu/gia-website/gem-education/applied-jewelry-professional |
| Gemmology | Gem-A | GemIntro, Foundation, and Diplomas | https://gem-a.com/education/ |
| Colored Gemstones | Gübelin Academy | Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Appraisal, and Gemmology | https://gubelin.com/de/pages/akademie-kurse |
| Watch Knowledge | FHH Academy | Watch Essentials, Watch Advisor, Specialist, Expert | https://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/fhh-academy/our-offers/courses/watch-essentials-class |
| Watchmaking Technology | WOSTEP | Watchmaker Training and Technical Continuing Education | https://www.wostep.ch/en/training-and-education |
| Sustainability | Truly Precious | Supply Chains, Responsible Sourcing, Sustainability | https://trulyprecious.org/ |
| Career Changers / Retail | BVJ, BVSU, BVED & DGemG | Introductory Seminar on Jewelry, Gemstones, and Watches | https://www.dgemg.com/seminare/457-verkaufswissen.html |
Knowledge takes time
The overview shows one thing above all: education and continuing education are no longer a marginal issue. Major luxury groups are establishing their own structures, vocational schools are keeping rare techniques alive, international institutes are teaching gemology and watchmaking, associations are creating new entry paths, and initiatives like Truly Precious are bringing additional expertise to the industry.
Not everyone needs to follow the same path. A goldsmith needs different skills than a gemologist, and a watchmaker needs different skills than a salesperson or buyer. What they all have in common, however, is that acquiring specialized knowledge takes time.
The industry’s most crucial investment, therefore, isn’t just in machinery, new stores, or digitalization. It’s also in the people who will still know how to do it tomorrow.
Information current as of September 30, 2026. Dates, prices, languages, admission requirements, and application conditions are subject to change. If you are seriously interested, you should therefore always check with the respective provider for the most up-to-date information.
