PJC jewelry program has over 80 years of innovation
Published or Revised May 23, 2025
Jewelry student (shown clockwise, from left) Johnny Baca gets assistance from jewelry faculty Ashton Henderson in the second semester classroom; fourth semester student Sebastian Padillo-Zamudio gets tips on his project from jewelry faculty Serina Omori; and first semester student Dorothy Wiedermann uses soldering skills to create a suitcase.
The jewelry program at Paris Junior College was one of two programs begun in 1942 to train veterans from World War II. Now in its 83rd year, the program continues the decades-long tradition of turning out world class jewelers.
Jewelry faculty Serina Omori says there are a wide range of personalities among their students. Some have a fashion design and jewelry passion, some like to work with their hands, and some come knowing a traditional academic education is not for them and they want a job where they’re doing and making.
“My goal is to train students to be the best bench jewelers possible so they can go into the industry, secure jobs and live happily ever after,” said Omori. “We want to get them started on the career that they’re going to enjoy and thrive in.”
Rebranded as the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology many years ago, the program attracts students from Paris and nearby cities, and from all over Texas and the United States. Recent and current students come from Alaska, Louisiana, Minnesota, Washington, and New York, according to Omori.
One program success story is Patrick Dobbs of P. Dobbs in Austin, Texas, and co-owner of fine jewelry brand Jamie Turner. Dobbs has been in many prestigious jewelry design competitions and won numerous design awards. Recently Dobbs has been a driving force in jewelry stores that have received INSTORE Magazine’s distinction as a top five Editor’s Pick for America’s Coolest Store and a top five finalist distinction for National Luxury Retailer of the Year by JCK Magazine. He also has a line of jewelry at Neiman Marcus, currently serves as PJC jewelry advisory board president, and has hired many recent PJC graduates.
Another PJC alumnus success is David Casares, who worked for five years for Tiffany and then began making custom jewelry for friends - and many members of the Denver Broncos. Mile High Jewelry is noted not just for creating jewelry for the famous and an appearance on “Shark Tank,” it is a successful family business celebrating 25 years.
Casares encouraged his brother Eric to attend PJC, and now his nephew, Johnny Baca, who is in his second semester at PJC.
“I was eight years old when I started working in the family business and I just fell in love with jewelry,” said Baca. “It’s a good thing the program is here, it’s a slow, steady city and the people are chill. I love everything, I love working on rings and soldering.”
Baca’s classmate Nate Moline is from a jewelry family in Austin, Minnesota. His grandmother worked for a jewelry store for 20 years and then opened her own store in 1997, becoming the first woman business owner in town.
“After she passed away, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do and I settled on jewelry to carry on her legacy,” said Moline. “A couple of friends who used to work with her recommended PJC, so I just decided to pack everything up and move across the country.”
He loves the challenges of the program.
“You get help from your instructors,” Moline said, “but a lot of the fun part is figuring it out yourself. Every time you finish a project it fills you with so much confidence, knowing you made it from scratch.”
First-semester student Maddox Rodarte’s family has a long history in the jewelry business, as well. His father started in the jewelry pawn business and after 27 years, began refurbishing watches and then got into jewelry.
“My father’s business contacts told him about the program at PJC,” said Rodarte. “One of the best jewelers he knows told him that I should take all the classes I could at PJC because the more knowledge I can get here, the better I can do in the industry.”
His classmate Dorothy, “Dassi” Wiedermann of Plano was originally bound for the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She diverted to PJC after one of her audiologist mother’s patients spoke of PJC.
“She told my mom that there’s a great place two hours away that was a whole lot cheaper that’s state of the art and that great jewelers go there,” Wiedermann said. She’s in her first semester and looking forward to the gemology section.
“I can’t wait to start with stones,” she said of the class that uses microscopes to identify gems. “I do love looking at things up close.”
Fourth semester student Sebastian Padillo-Zamudio began looking at videos of people showing off their jewelry and he thought it would be cool to make it. His mother sent him to visit jewelers and ask where they were trained.
“One of the jewelers I talked to offered me an apprenticeship right off the bat,” said Padillo-Zamudio. “I worked there for eight months, and they told me how great PJC was. The owner and his two kids went to PJC too, and they all work at the jewelry store.”
After finishing at PJC, Padillo-Zamudio plans to return to work where he interned. Long-term, he wants to set up a small workshop and do custom work. He likes stone-setting and wants to learn how to make grills for teeth.
Mary Warren lived in over seven states due to her father’s career as an electrical engineer. She discovered that jewelry could be a career and found PJC while searching for programs online.
“I really enjoy it,” Warren said of PJC, “Stone setting is really fun, I like seeing the finished product with a stone inside. It’s a lot more enjoyable than just laying stuff out and filing.”
Andrew Underwood of Sumner didn’t have to do any searching as he’d been around the program most of his life as the son of longtime retired gemology instructor Tony Underwood.
“I decided to just go for what always fascinated me,” said Underwood, “I grew up watching my dad do jewelry and that inspired me in recent years. I probably have to start with an apprenticeship, but I plan to open my own business.”
Another local student, Jabari Dowdy of Ladonia, learned about the jewelry program when jewelry faculty came to his school.
“She came multiple times, and she brought projects,” Dowdy said. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do and this caught my eye. I know I want to start working in a store, but I’m still learning and I’m looking forward to taking CAD.”
The jewelry program made some changes last year to better assist all prospective jewelers get started in the industry. The newest credential is an Occupational Skills Award in Stone Setting that may be completed in 12 semester credit hours (SCH). Other credentials include a Certificate of Gemology (16 SCH), Certificate in Jewelry Fabrication and Repair Technician (18 SCH), Certificate in Jewelry Computer Aided Design (18 SCH), Certificate in Jewelry Technology (48 SCH) and an Associate of Applied Science in Jewelry Technology (60 SCH).
Students may start the program in the fall, spring, or summer. The first semester teaches repair and fabrication and can be taken in fall or spring. Jewelry computer aided design (CAD) and gemology are taught in the summer. The remaining classes are taken in either the fall or spring semesters.
“We’ve been able to upgrade equipment a lot and grow the student association,” Omori says. The CAD program’s three types of software are constantly updated so students get the latest technology, and the association allows students to learn extra skills and go on trips to the Texas Jewelers Association Conference or to Arkansas to dig quartz crystals.
According to Jewelers of America, average salaries for the shorter credentials range from $45,088 to $60,000, and for the completing the entire program salaries range from $57,000 to $77,500. For more information about the program, contact somori@parisjc.edu.