by Silver Works | Jan 5, 2023 | Jewellery Classes
If your New Year goal is to be more creative in 2023 we think you should take a look at the exciting courses we’re offering here at Silver Works this January.
Usually associated with a post-Christmas come down, January can feel a little lacklustre to say the least. But it doesn’t have to be that way, January could be the month where you discover your new passion and get excited about discovering your creativity.
So let’s get something in your diary to kick-start the new year. At Silver Works we have a wide range of courses to suit all tastes and levels.
Our ever-popular Forge a Silver Ring class will be in full swing again this January. You can learn to make your very own ring from scratch to a stunning finished piece that you will treasure forever. Every ring is individual and you can choose from 3 different textures or combine them to make it even more unique. You even get to choose the finish you want. We have a wide range of dates and times to choose from so head over to our booking page to find out when you can start your jewellery making adventure.
Our One-Day Gem Setting Class is particularly popular with those looking for a friendship date. This class is the perfect place to start if you want to try your hand at jewellery making or want to develop your skills further. You can enjoy a full day in the heart of Dublin, lunching wherever you choose and at the end of the class, you will have a beautiful piece of jewellery to take home to remember your special day. Our next available class is Sunday 29th 10.00am
For makers with a little more experience you can enjoy the creative freedom of our 9 week Design and Make Tuesdays. You can take your piece of jewellery from concept to finished piece with the trusted guidance and support of our team here at Silver Works. Currently there is only one space left for Design and Make Tuesdays so grab your spot fast before it’s gone!
Our first Introduction to Metal Clay of the year takes place on 21st of January. Metal clay is a magical medium that starts out as soft clay that can be shaped and moulded into a unique design. When it is fired it turns into real fine silver! Join us on an exploration of this unusual medium and find out its endless possibilities.
Demand for our 5 week Introductory Jewellery-Making Course is as high as ever with all dates in January already sold out. For those of you with your heart set on this course, we do have two dates in late February with availability. Early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.
We understand how daunting it is to start something new and how easy it is to lose it, if you don’t use it. We pride ourselves our Dublin city-centre jewellery making classes, kept intimate with just 6 spaces in each class, to help you feel more comfortable and relaxed. Our teachers will do their best to get to know your outcome goals so that they can support you in the best way they can.
So if you’re looking to keep your spirits up this January or perhaps you’re looking for a meaningful gift for a loved one, why not book yourself or a friend into one of our fun and creative classes.
Click here for a full list of classes and courses available at Silver Works. Keep an eye on our social media @silverworksdublin for the latest updates and announcements.
by Silver Works | Nov 10, 2022 | Dublin, Jewellery Classes
3 Classes To Sign Up To This November at Silver Works Dublin
We’re just one week into November and already, diaries are filling up as we go full steam ahead into the party season. Dare we say it but before we know it, Christmas will be well and truly upon us. We’re here to remind you that among the chaos, don’t forget to factor in a little fun, – the mindful, creative kind as well as all that partying.
This month we’ve got plenty happening with our almost daily Forge A Ring classes which are proving more and more popular with teams and Christmas parties and we’re hosting our first gold version of the bestselling class at the start of December due to popular demand to make gold pieces during the class.
Here’s the low down of which classes to sign up for this month.
The Make a Silver Charm class walks you through a ten-step process to make an initialed silver charm or pendant. You’ll be able to wear the charm as a pendant and can make use of a special discount to purchase your own necklace to add your charm to or add it to your favourite charm bracelet.
You can choose from eight different shapes for your charm, including (but not limited to) a circular disc, diamond, star, square, or heart and will learn different hammering techniques to create your own texture on the charm.
Choose to add your initials before drilling a hole in the top of your charm so that it can be added to your bracelet or necklace once complete. Final touches allow you to decide if you want a super sparkly or edgy matte finish for your charm. With the guidance of our expert teachers, you’ll learn how to create your desired finish using the polishing machine.
The class takes place over a two-and-a-half-hour period and by the end, you get to walk away with your finished, handmade charm, totally unique to you.
Our One Day Gemstone Setting Class is the perfect place to start if you want to try your hand at Jewellery Design and making or if you have existing skills from previous courses and want to develop your skills further and this one – happening on 27th November – marks our final Gemstone Setting class of the year. So if it’s been on your 2022 bucket list to invest in your creative skills, this is your chance to tick it off before the year is out.
The class size is kept small so that our students benefit from getting the most out of their time with our teachers and so that you feel comfortable and confident exploring your new skill.
In this fun, flexible, one-day class, you’ll learn how to set gemstones using a flush setting into a sterling silver ring or pendant. Gemstone setting can be a little tricky so to enable a focus on this skill in particular, all sterling silver rings and pendants are pre-made for you to practice setting your stones into.
Spend the morning practicing on copper before going all in on the real thing and setting your gemstones into your final sterling silver piece in the afternoon.
This class is open to all learning stages, with the support and guidance of our expert goldsmith tutors who are there to guide you throughout.
While not technically happening in November, this is a class you’ll need to book ASAP due to high demand.
We’ve been inundated with requests to offer a class where you can make your own ring, in gold, and here it is!
For those of you who want to learn from scratch how to make a ring of your own, you now have the chance to do so in solid gold. For those who prefer more delicate styles to their rings, you can opt to use the 2mm square wire. The alternative is to use a 4mm sheet, the same as our bestselling Forge a Silver Ring class, but in solid gold.
With the help of your expert teacher leading the class, you’ll learn the basics of jewellery making step by step and walk away with a stunning gold ring of your own making to love and cherish.
Book one of our best-selling jewellery-making workshops at Silver Works Dublin this November
by Silver Works | Oct 18, 2022 | Jewellery Classes
We are very excited to be announcing our BRAND NEW class, Forge a GOLD Ring at Silver Works Dublin.
You may be thinking that this class sounds a little familiar, and you’re right. Due to very popular demand, this new class is a twist on our classic, best selling, Forge a Silver Ring class.
Time and time again, we receive questions and requests about whether you can do the Forge a Ring Class, making a gold ring instead of silver and until now, this was something you had to leave to our expert tutors and goldsmiths to do for you after the class. Part of the joy of the Forge a Ring class is that you get to walk away with your brand new, handmade ring at the end of the class so going forward, we’ll be running a special edition, gold version of the Forge a Ring class every 6-8 weeks.
What this means for you is that if you prefer to wear gold jewellery, you can come in specially to this class and make a gold ring of your own. It’s the same class and the same process as the original Forge a Silver Ring class but it’s slightly more bespoke with more time spent with each student to enable you to make the ring using gold and to suit your style.
The first Forge a Gold Ring class will be held on Saturday 5th November with just 5 spaces available. To find out more, visit our booking page here.
Got questions? Check out our FAQs below.
Do we need prior experience to do this class?
Absolutely not! This is a fun, interactive class designed for anyone to take part in! We teach you from scratch.
Do we get to keep the ring at the end?
Yes you do! It’s your ring to love and cherish after the class
I don’t like the thickness of the band, can I make my ring thinner or thicker?
We offer a standard 4mm size band or a 2mm square wire band- which you can texture and finish any many different ways! Unfortunately as we have to order in the gold especially these are all the options of width that we can offer for this class
Can one of our group do the forge a ring class and one of us do the charm class?
Unfortunately not, as they are two very different procedures, they are really two separate classes that need 2 separate teachers.
Find our full FAQs here
by Silver Works | Oct 11, 2022 | Jewellery Classes
Did you know that engaging in creative activities, even just colouring in, improves brain function, mental health and your physical health? At this time of year, many of us are ready to hunker down and hibernate with the dark nights and cold temperatures calling us to cosy up and embrace the creative, wholesome afternoons spent indoors.
Well actually, we improvised on the latter part but we’re firm believers in there being no time like the present to embrace creativity. And now there are studies to back us up. The theory of cognition tells us about the principle of being creative as a basis of human life. So how does doodling or learning new creative skills like jewellery making, make you healthy? Let’s break it down…
Boosts your immune system
Time to work on your penmanship and whip out that journal. Although experts aren’t totally clear on how, writing increases your CD4+ lymphocyte count, the key to your immune system. Sceptical? It sounds a bit mad but the studies are there to back it up. The studies show that people who write about their experiences daily, actually have stronger immune systems.
Improves mental health
Perhaps the most relatable health benefit of creativity is its ability to calm our minds. The average person has 60,000 thoughts per day. Taking time to do something creative like knitting, sewing, making jewellery helps to focus the mind with its calming effects even being compared to meditation when doing activities like those, we experience a release of dopamine, a natural antidepressant.
To take the mental health benefits step further, creativity has also been shown to help process trauma. While writing can be used to manage negative emotions, painting and drawing can help people to process experiences or trauma that they struggle to articulate with words.
Reduces dementia
The results of the theory of cognition study, specifically explores how creativity and art stimulates dementia patients. The study shows that
“creative activity can reduce depression and isolation, offering the power of choice and decisions. Towards the end of life, art and creativity offer a path of opening up the windows to people’s emotional interiors.”
It’s amazing that getting into the creative flow is actually proven to be good for us in more ways than providing entertainment for an afternoon.
If you’re feeling inspired to start getting more creative, grab a pal or plan a solo date for yourself at one of our jewellery making classes or courses. Find out more about available classes here.
by Silver Works | Oct 4, 2022 | Jewellery Classes
On Saturday 22nd October, back by popular demand, we’re kicking off round two of our newest workshop at Silver Works Dublin, the Metal Clay Charm Class. We spoke to our resident Metal Clay expert, Jane to fill you in on everything you need to know about the Metal Charm Class.
Get ready to have some fun and let your playful side shine in this workshop. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Saturday 22nd October. We guarantee you won’t want to miss this and we know how many of you had FOMO last time.
First up, what is metal clay?
- Metal clay is a really magical medium to work with. Through heat, it turns from clay that can be shaped and stamped into solid silver.
- You will start the class playing with a practice clay so you’ll have plenty of time to play and practice for your final design.
- Then we move on to the metal clay itself and you will begin working on your two charms.
- At each step along the way, we will explain the process of turning your design into a final product you get to take home with you.
- You get to pick what textures and stamps to add to your charms. Then, when the clay is dry, you will sand the pieces ready for the teacher to fire. You can watch the firing process and learn how to do this crucial part of the process. Once the piece has cooled down you will be handed back your final design that has now transformed into metal.
- After that, we work on filing and polishing your charms, so they are ready to wear.
What do you love most about working with metal clay?
Metal clay is truly magical. It starts life as a soft clay and then you can turn it into fine silver metal before your very eyes. I never get tired of that process. The possibilities of working with metal clay are endless – you can shape by hand, cut out shapes using templates and cutters, add textures from so many things including natural things such as leaves, you can set stones directly in the clay, you can carve out a design in the dried clay – honestly, this is only the tip of the iceberg. There is always something new to learn.
I love the fact that there is no waste and every piece of dry clay even the clay dust can be recycled and made into fresh clay. It is relatively easy to do at home too and doesn’t require any large expensive equipment.
Even though the medium is playful and exciting the final product is a fine silver (999) piece that is hallmark quality.
Who is the class best suited to?
The class is suitable for beginners who have an interest in learning the basic steps of working with metal clay. It just takes an open mind to be playful and a bit of patience to finesse your piece. It’s a great class to do with friends too or as a group as you can personalise your piece and it is something you will all remember doing together.
What are you most excited about teaching the class?
I am most excited about spreading the word for metal clay and introducing new people to this craft. Whether you are a complete beginner who wants to make the charms for yourself or are already a jeweller who is intrigued to learn a new skill I can’t wait to meet everyone.
There aren’t many places in Ireland that teach metal clay so it’s exciting to add this class to Silverworks already packed programme of classes.
What advice would you give to someone on the fence about booking a class?
Give it a go you won’t be disappointed. The class is a 3-hour experience so not a massive investment time wise or financial.
Plus, at the end of the class, you will have two charms that will be ready to wear that you make yourself from scratch and who wouldn’t want that?
If you’d like to find out more or secure your place at the Metal Clay Workshop (happening Saturday 22nd October), you can find out more here.
by Silver Works | Nov 5, 2021 | Jewellery Classes
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.
