Editor’s Note
This article highlights the strategic consolidation of Golden Dew Atelier’s facilities, a move aimed at boosting R&D efficiency and productivity in jewelry craftsmanship.
Establishment and Purpose
The ‘Golden Dew Atelier,’ operated by Golden Dew (CEO Lee Pil-sung), is a specialized research institute established in 2014 with the aim of strengthening the parent company’s technological capabilities and conducting research and development in jewelry crafting. In March of this year, the institute significantly improved operational efficiency and productivity by consolidating facilities that were previously dispersed across multiple locations into a single, expanded space.
State-of-the-Art Facilities
This facility boasts a comfortable working environment and a variety of the latest equipment that are hard to find in domestic Korean workshops. It is equipped with high-end machinery worth hundreds of millions of won, including air shower rooms and air mats, and aims for quality control standards comparable to those of global high-end brands and large-scale jewelry manufacturing factories in Japan.
Interview with Choi Sang-young, Head of Golden Dew Atelier
During a weekday visit to the Golden Dew Atelier, technicians ranging from their 20s to 50s were observed deeply engaged in crafting and R&D work. FashionBiz met with Choi Sang-young, Head of Golden Dew Atelier, on-site to hear detailed stories about the facility.
Q. What was the motivation for establishing Golden Dew Atelier?
“Golden Dew Atelier is a professional crafting research facility operated directly by the headquarters, opening its doors in 2014. The main motivation for establishing the atelier was the urgent need to move away from outsourcing product production to external partners and to secure independent technological capabilities at the headquarters level, along with the necessity for R&D in new jewelry crafting technologies.”
“Since its establishment, the atelier has focused on researching and developing innovative technologies related to jewelry crafting, with the core goal of presenting jewelry products of the highest quality.”
Q. The latest equipment is also noticeable.
“Major equipment such as 18K gold and platinum casting machines, laser welders, and 3D printers are in place, most of which are high-end machines costing hundreds of millions of won.”
“Using these latest facilities, we meticulously carry out each stage from original creation to final polishing. The precision where all workers review even parts difficult to see with the naked eye through microscopes is considered a key strength of this place.”
“At the entrance, we have introduced air shower rooms and air mats, striving for cleanliness management, aiming for the highest level of quality control comparable to global high-end brands and large-scale jewelry manufacturing factories in Japan.”
Q. What are the strengths from a technical perspective?
“Golden Dew Atelier holds multifaceted technological advantages in the field of jewelry crafting. First, unlike the traditional jewelry production system that mass-replicates based on existing originals, we are continuing innovative attempts to apply the direct casting technique, producing products solely through 3D printing without an original.”
“Furthermore, the fact that we independently implement the hand-cutting technique, which requires high technical skill, is one of the atelier’s core competencies. In 2015, we successfully produced the ‘Dazzling Series’ applying the hollow technique, which has consistently received positive responses from consumers. In this way, we are immediately applying techniques to actual products and eliciting successful responses.”
Q. How many people currently work at the research institute?
“Starting with an initial 5 people, the staff has now expanded to 25. Within that, technicians from their 20s to 50s are working.”
Q. The proportion of young technicians in their 20s and 30s also seems high.
“In the fields of jewelry design or crafting, there is still a perception that the working environment is poor, so it’s not a profession that young talents prefer. As this situation continues, the talent pool is gradually narrowing. The realistic judgment is that fields where young manpower does not flow in will ultimately find it difficult to grow.”
“Based on this awareness of the problem, Golden Dew Atelier has actively invested in talent cultivation so that many young people can flow in. Thanks to that, the number of technicians in their 20s has noticeably increased. In particular, as employees who have experienced the atelier spread positive word-of-mouth, the number of applicants is steadily increasing.”
“Above all, now the technical skills of the younger generation and the know-how of the skilled senior generation are combined, creating great synergy. Thanks to this, we are producing even more complete results.”
Q. Any final words?
“I have long held the wish that Korea also needs a space where talents with the best skills can receive fair treatment and demonstrate their capabilities. I believe Golden Dew Atelier is laying a solid cornerstone for that wish. I hope that, led by this place, the future will be one where the next generation of jewelry experts can work with pride in a more developed environment.”
