TANYA Cohen can’t even remember what prompted her decision to switch from a graphic arts and photography major to study jewellery at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, but it’s a decision she does not regret.

The 42-year-old Mount Alvernia High alum now owns Body Art, a shop in Pavilion Mall in Half-Way-Tree, where she not only offers custom-made jewellery, but also does body piercings.

After completing her diploma, Cohen was led to do research into body peircing, and after spending some time working with a professional and doing extensive reading, she was able to take it on as her own.

Cohen took a moment with Career & Education to describe what it means to be not just a jeweller, but also a body piercer.

Describe what your profession entails?

I can [craft] metal, either silver or gold into jewellery. It entails working with oxygen, working with tools, saws, drawmills and stones. It’s a very hands-on job. I usually discuss with customers what they would like and then I sit down and make something for them.

Body piercing, I decided to do as it complements making jewellery. It’s very intense. I do all piercings from eyebrow, to tongue, to genitals.

What is the value of the work that you do?

People have been adorning themselves for years and for some people, it’s a significant thing. It’s important, as people want something tangible, sometimes to show appreciation or to show their loyalty, customs or religion.

What was it that prompted your entry into the field?

I was not very academic in high school and always said I wanted to be self-employed. I went to Edna Manley and started in graphic arts and photography but within the first year, decided no, and switched to jewellery.

What are the academic requirements for getting into the field?

Edna Manley College now offers a degree programme in jewellery. There is no professional training to do body piercings.

What of your own academic background?

I attended Mount Alvernia High, then Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and then I went to the Fashion Institute (FIT) in New York, but decided to return to Jamaica before completing it.

What other skills and/or competencies are required for entry into the field?

Patience. You may be working on a piece [of jewellery] for two days or longer and you have to work with small pieces. Also, you have to have some amount of creativity and a technical mind. With body piercing, you are dealing with people up close, so you have to be a people person and very professional.

What do you most enjoy about the work that you do?

Working for myself is a good thing because I don’t have a boss breathing down my neck. And I like interacting with a wide crosssection of people. There is also the satisfaction of seeing your work and hearing someone say they like it. That’s really satisfying.

What are the challenges you face on the job?

Well, with doing jewellery, sometimes I get a block just trying to come up with an idea of what to make. With body piercing, you always have to be cautious as you are working with body fluids and needles.

How much can one earn as a jeweller and body piercer?

Right now, it’s very competitive. Probably surviving on the piercings alone would not work but the combination of the two, it’s okay. Piercings range from $600 for an earlobe to body piercings for $2,000, which include jewellery, information and after-care treatment, up to $4,000 or $5,000 depending on the technicality.

How long have you been in the field?

I have been doing jewellery since leaving college and have been doing piercings for three years.

How long has it been since you opened Body Art?

One year.

What does the business offer?

We do jewellery making, custom work and retail; jewellery repairs, alterations and cleaning and piercings. I also contract a tattoo artist.

Where did you work prior to your employment with the current facility?

I joined Air Jamaica after college as a flight attendant. Then I was with the National Commercial Bank for a while, then I worked with a stationery company before getting a job with a jeweller for Studio Limited, where I honed my jewellery skills.

Why would you advise anyone to get into this line of work?

I think you have to have a certain feeling for the arts. If someone thinks they are creative and they’d like to try it out, no problem. And with that as a trade, you could start a business.