Jewelry and metalsmithing students shining in roles at Tiffany

September 17, 2024 (Volume 48, Number 2)
Article by Thomas Garrett

Olivia Nolff standing in black jacket with gold necklace on, against set of windows

group of seven people standing in blue lab coats in a workshop

The emphasis on creating jewelry is one of the more unique paths at Grand Valley.

An optional concentration for students pursuing a bachelor of fine arts degree, the jewelry and metalsmithing program is one of only four offered in Michigan that produce the next generation of artists in the jewelry industry.

One former student and one alumnus are shining like diamonds at the top of their field. Both are employed by Tiffany & Co, the multi-billion-dollar company that has been produced high-quality jewelry since 1837.

JP Stuhlreyer
JP Stuhlreyer, ’23, works as an apprentice bench jeweler for Tiffany & Co.

Stuhlreyer works in a manufacturing facility in Cumberland, Rhode Island. It’s a place not known to many, and it's hours away from Tiffany’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York, but it houses some of the world's finest silversmiths. This is where athletic awards like the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy and the U.S. Open Cup for Major League Soccer are created. This facility also produces solid silver bowls that are imbued with Tiffany’s famed Audubon patterns, a piece first introduced in 1875.

“It has been an absolute amazing experience, getting to learn from and work with some of the best in the world," said Stuhlreyer. “Many of my mentors have years and years in the fine jewelry industry and with Tiffany. Their expertise has been limitless.”

Originally an engineering major, Struhlreyer said he had no idea he was going to eventually move into the world of fine jewelry. Having previously built skateboards, Struhlreyer thought that graphic design would be the next logical step in his education. It was only until he took an introductory jewelry class as an elective that he found his love for creating jewelry.

“It was this ability to create something beautiful and special. Many of my first projects became gifts for my mother or girlfriend, and that feeling became addictive, to watch someone be amazed at something you created. With fine jewelry, the ability to create something amazing is endless,” said Struhlreyer.

Now halfway through his two-year apprenticeship program, Struhlreyer said his success and ability to keep up with the pace of his training is thanks to the wide variety of styles and techniques he learned at GVSU and from his former professor Renee Zettle-Sterling, professor of jewelry, metalsmithing and foundations.

“The design-based approach and wide variety of styles we learned gave us a wide swath of knowledge, and usually not within fine jewelry. It helps people decide where they want to go in the dozens of jewelry and metalworking fields, whether that is fabrication, repair or design,” said Struhlreyer.

Olivia Nolff
Olivia Nolff earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan. She had plans to go law school and become a lawyer. After working in a jewelry store, she decided to make a change and began looking at art schools. Nolff toured GVSU’s jewelry program and met Zettle-Sterling.

“She was super kind, colorful, and that helped showed me this was the place I wanted to be. She would continue to show her kindness and dedication even after I started classes and began expressing interest in fine jewelry,” said Nolff.

Zettle-Sterling spent additional time with Nolff outside of class, teaching jewelry techniques like tube settings for stones. Nolff's additional interest led Zettle-Sterling to encourage her to apply to an apprenticeship program.

Nolff was one of two interns selected to work at Tiffany & Co’s service center located in Queens, New York. She is being trained in repairs and jewelry maintenance and has begun to work on customer products.

“It has been really exciting, moving from messing with scrap metal, and cleaning casting plume chains, to repairing what might be someone’s prized piece of jewelry,” said Nolff.

Nolff and her fellow intern had the opportunity to present their ideas for accessible jewelry to their supervisors. They designed two prototypes of necklace chains that could be removed with one hand rather than two, making it more convenient for all users.

As she neared the end of her 10-week internship program, Nolff was offered a full-time jeweler position with Tiffany & Co, which she recently accepted.

Visiting professors Laurel Fulton and Natalie Lowe played a huge role in training these students, Zettle-Sterling said. She added Nolff and Struhlreyer have similar stories to other jewerly and metalsmithing students who have found their own right opportunities.

“Our program is not geared toward working in the high-end jewelry industry, but I am pleased to say that our students can compete with and thrive in this environment," said Zettling-Sterling. "It makes me realize that we are finding a good balance of techniques, design development, and concepts being taught in the curriculum providing future outlets for our students to succeed.”

— Thomas Garrett earned a bachelor's degree in writing from GVSU in April.