Orangeburg man sparkles as Colucci's jewelry technician

For many jewelry technicians, like Cameron Schurlknight of Orangeburg, part of enjoying priceless treasures is making and repairing them.

He has worked at Colucci's Jewelers of Summerville for the past three years and has had nine years of experience in his profession.

As Schurlknight focused on assembling a 2-carat platinum solitaire engagement ring, it's easy to see that concentration and attention to detail are part of his everyday job.

"It's a lot of hard work and people don't realize that," he said. "Any faceted diamond cut for jewelry can actually chip, so I take my time as this is kind of a tedious job."

Excitement can accompany the purchase of any piece of jewelry (especially an engagement ring). Hearts may flutter and eagerness may set it, but the old saying stands true: You can't rush perfection.

"We sometimes have people that would like to get their rings the day they place their order, but it doesn't quite work that way," Schurlknight said. "We're going to make sure it's right before it leaves the store, so, we're not going to rush an order just to get it out."

At a young age, Schurlknight said he first wanted to work with Rolex. It wasn't until his high school days that he acquired an admiration for jewelry repair.

"I had a summer job, while I was in high school, buffing and cleaning jewelry that had been repaired. The jeweler technician at that store set up a bench for me and let me work with some of the jewelry, and after that I decided that I liked it," he said.

To any hard-working individual, there is a sense of satisfaction that comes in observing the fruits of your labor.

As rewarding as getting the job done can be, Schurlknight is quick to impart a bit of advice to any aspiring jeweler technician.

"Make sure you have a lot of patience and steady hands," he said.

Patience in this line of work definitely comes in handy right around the holidays.

"We have some rushes during the holidays, especially around Christmas and on Christmas Eve," he said. "Sometimes men just wait until the last minute."

However, there are more difficult things that weigh on the minds of jewelry technicians.

"The challenging part of this job is resetting stones when they come out (of their settings)," he said. "I once had to modify and set up a 7-carat round stone that was worth around $90,000-$110,000."

Modifying and setting up stones is difficult, but dealing with stones with high price tags can be daunting, he said.

Colucci's of Summerville employs a uniquely certified talent in Schurlknight. He is a Jewelers of America Certified Bench Jeweler Technician, the first in the state and the 61st nationwide to ever receive the distinction.

Schurlknight's enjoyment for what he does shines through in his work and he has left many customers very satisfied.