...it's that time of the week again! Friday is here!

I'm celebrating because everything has been formalised with some learning that I did through lockdown with the world-famous Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The GIA is famous outside of jewellery circles for helping to put an end to the trade in blood diamonds, and since 2008, it has been illegal to trade in them. the GIA do a lot of work with diamonds, including diamond grading, and will produce a report that maps your diamond's "fingerprint". This shows the microscopic imperfections that are actually very useful, as they show that the diamond is natural and not lab-grown.

Having passed the training with flying colours, I am now an Applied Jewellery Professional, and have my first formal qualification in jewellery.

This got me thinking about qualifications and career paths, and how funny life is. I've probably thought about it more lately because of everything that's happened with this summer's exam results.

I don't know if it's partly because of the 'Yorkshire temperament' where you have to keep your feet on the ground, but I've never liked the idea of a so-called "ego wall". Big egos are funny - sometimes people are very accomplished and deserve to have them (although they usually don't!) and sometimes people who aren't so accomplished are the biggest braggers around.

I do think that qualifications have their place, but I think what you do with the knowledge you have is just as important as how you got it. I also think that there's lots of very informal ways to learn that don't lead to certificates. Although, now that I've got one... ;o)

The beginning of an ego wall?

I've learned a lot about jewellery from the London Jewellery School, as well as Flourish and Thrive Academy, who also teach business. I've trained with The Design Trust, as well as been through the NatWest business accelerator programme (called eSpark when I did it, but since re-branded). I've also learned a lot from trial and error, and from my customers.

This won't be where I stop learning, either. One of the reasons that I fell in love with movies was that there are so many of them, there's always something new to discover. Learning is the same. Sometimes it's unexpected, but if you want to try something new, there's always something out there!

Unintentionally, that also links into the other thing that I was going to touch on. From egos that are bigger than they should be to egos that are smaller than they should be. From learning and remembering what a big world it is, to those who thing their world needs to stop.

Yesterday was World Suicide Prevention Day. A heavy topic, I know, but as it's the biggest killer of men under 50, I wanted to mention it. Everyone has a man in their life that they care about - a parent, other half, friend, teacher... too many to list - and that they'd be devastated to lose. This is particularly poignant on a day like September the 11th, when so many people lost those that they care about.

The world has changed a lot lately, which is always unsettling. As we face further uncertainty, I think one of the smallest things that has a big impact is to remind someone that they matter. I learned this from my Mum, although she never sat me down and taught it to me. She would talk to anyone, usually with a smile and a chuckle. Sometimes that small interaction, where you treat a stranger like a human being, will lift both your spirits and their spirits for the whole day. It reminds us that we matter.

Here are the signs you've been looking for:

Have a great weekend - see you next week!

Joy