The Beginners Guide to Jewellery Making

Today we wanted to explain a little more about the term ‘stone setting’.

This is something we teach in several of our classes, including our One Day Gemstone Setting Class, Introduction to Jewellery Making Class and our Improvers Jewellery Making class.

Stone setting is simply the process of a gemstone being securely attached into the jewellery setting – usually the last part of the process. While there are many different variations of gem setting, we focus on flush setting and bezel setting within our classes.

Let’s shift the focus to Flush setting for now.

This is a technique of setting a gemstone into a drilled hole so that the gemstone sits inside of the jewellery and doesn’t show above the surface of the piece. Flush setting is a skill that requires accuracy and practice. This is why our 5 week courses and One Day Gemstone Setting Classes factor in plenty of time to practise before setting your gemstones into your final sterling silver piece.

 

A bezel setting is a technique used for enclosing a diamond or gemstone within a piece of jewellery, where the metal securely wraps around the stone. It’s one of the oldest types of stone setting and is often seen in antique or antique-inspired jewellery. The biggest benefit of a bezel setting is their security due to the setting fully surrounding the stone.

 

Our classes are open to all learning stages and you’ll have the help and guidance of our experienced goldsmith and tutor who will be there to guide you.

Click here for more information about our classes and current availability. 

 

 

The Beginners Guide to Jewellery Making

So  you fancy your hand at jewellery making? Amazing! You’re in the right place.

 

One of our most frequently asked questions is whether our classes are suitable for beginners. 

Our answer: YES! Yes, of course – come on in. 

We know that starting anything new can be a little daunting – even with our reassurance that you’re very much welcome – so we’ve put together our tips for those who want to try jewellery making for the first time, to help ease any nerves about coming along to our classes and enjoying learning a new creative skill. 

One of the many joys of making your own jewellery is that you get to create pieces totally bespoke to you and that reflects exactly what you’re looking for. There’s also the excitement of being able to make thoughtful gifts for loved ones. Imagine being able to have your own personalised jewellery for an affordable price and have fun in the process. 

 

What do you need to make jewellery?

Within our classes we primarily focus on making silver rings or pendants. We provide all tools, equipment, aprons and drills. So all you’ve got to bring is yourself and a few ideas about what you’d like to make design wise. 

Don’t panic if you’re drawing a blank in terms of design ideas, our very experienced tutors are not only bursting with knowledge but they’re also a super creative bunch and will happily chat through and help you with ideas. 

 

Choose what you’d like to make

Everything you make in our classes, you keep. On completion of our next Introduction to Jewellery Making course, you’ll have made either a pierced pendant or a beautiful ring with a bezel set gemstone, just in time for Christmas. 

It can be overwhelming when you first decide to give jewellery-making a go because there are so many possibilities. Choose one item to focus on first and remember, you can always try something else later. You’ll actually find it easier learning a new technique the next time around because of what you learned the first time around. 

If you’re stuck for inspiration on what to make, check out our Instagram here for examples of what previous clients have done. 

 

Master a few basics first

If you don’t feel ready to commit to a full jewellery making course, why not get started with our Forge a Silver Ring Taster Class? The result of this 2.5 hour class is a stunning handmade gift for yourself or a loved one AND you get to learn the basics of an incredible, ancient craft. 

Many of our Forge a Silver Ring class goers have discovered a new hobby and love of the craft and have signed up to our longer part-time courses to deepen their knowledge.

 

Don’t get discouraged

Just like with learning any other skill from scratch, there’s a learning curve to making your own jewellery. The first few tries may not go exactly as you’d like but that’s ok because your next attempt will look better and by the fourth, fifth, sixth go, you’ll feel more and more like a pro. Be patient with yourself, keep practicing, remember that all skills take time to develop and don’t forget our tutors are on hand throughout the entirety of the course to offer hands-on guidance and support. 

 

Click here to find out more about our class schedule for 2021. 

Our Introduction to Jewellery Making Course takes place over the course of 5 weeks. Classes are currently capped at 6 participants to ensure social distancing and COVID-19 measures are adhered to. We ask that all teachers and students attending wear visors/masks during our class. Workshop students have been fitted with perspex dividers and sanitisation stations to be used when entering and exiting our premises. 

Our most frequently asked questions usually come back to two things:

1. Do I need experience in making jewellery to attend Silver Works classes? (in case you’re wondering, no, not at all!)
2. I have no idea what to make. Help! I need some inspiration. 

Today we’re here to answer the latter. First up, check out our instagram – we share lots of insights into our workshops, including some of the beautiful creations other customers have made in the workshop or using the Ring Carving Kit. You can also browse Pinterest for design ideas. 

To show what is possible using our Ring Carving Kits and through attending our workshops, we wanted to share with you some of the creations people have already made using it.

 

The beauty of jewellery making is that no two pieces are identical – what you create is a true reflection of you, your style and your hands!  You can now check out some of the rings made using the Kit in our Silver Works Hall of Fame below.

With the easy step by step tutorials included in the kit and workshops you will learn everything you need to know about the basics of wax carving. Those who have done it already have left glowing reviews! See what they have been saying below:

“A novel and delightful way to explore and express your creativity in a lock down. The kit is comprehensive and the tutorials are detailed and easily accessible online for whenever suits your timetable. Great support and fast responses to enquiries. I can’t wait to attend a class in person to expand my skills. Highly recommended.” – Joseph Bonham

“Great Lockdown experience learning and working from home. Took me a while to shape the wax to my design but good fun trying it and my ring has turned out beautifully. Great conversation piece and I’m planning to make some nice presents.” – J.S.

To read more about it and to get your own Ring Carving Kit, click here

And if our Ring carving workshops have caught your eye, click here for further details and booking options. 

Thanks,