Level 1 - Beginners
Silver Jewellery Courses
6 Week
Evening Class
Silver Jewellery Courses
6 Week
Evening Class
Class level: Beginners
Introductory level suitable for those with no previous experience at all. This is an extremely intensive and comprehensive metalsmithing course, which once completed, will allow you to go ahead and start making your own silver and gold jewellery.
Please note - This course is not project based. The focus is on teaching and introducing you to as many tools and techniques or processes as possible. Although we do try to finish a piece of jewellery in every lesson, this is not the objective. The aim of this course is to teach you the absolute fundamentals of jewellery making - so by the end of the course, you will have covered all the basic skills and techniques of a traditional silver or goldsmith; allowing you to then go on and create your own jewellery to suit your unique style.
During this course you will learn all the basic techniques - like how to pierce (saw) your metal, different types of soldering techniques, how to texture your metal using tools, punches rolling mills and hammers. You will also learn how to bezel set a stone and how to file and polish your work to give a lovely professional finish to your jewellery. By the end of the course, you will be able to make chunky chains, bangles, pendants, brooches, earrings and rings - including spinners, stacking and stone set rings.
Using only a small selection of hand tools, you will receive a very good grounding in the absolute fundamentals of metalsmithing, which will enable you to set up your own workshop at a reasonable price, and to enable you to continue working on your own in the future.
All tuition, tools and materials are included - not including silver. We work in copper, but if you prefer to work in silver, you can either purchase your own, or buy from Tracy on the day.
We also provide handouts for each of the techniques you will learn during this course.
Beginner's Comprehensive Jewellery Course
Level 1 - 6 Week Silver Jewellery Course
3 hours per week
3 hours per week
Monday Evenings
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Course Dates
Autumn Term
Date: 7th October - 11th November (6 Week course) Day: Monday Evenings Time: 6:30 - 9:30 (3 hours per week - total 18 hours) Price: £225.00 Age: 16+. Students under 18, will need a parents consent. Tutor: Tracy Hills 
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What to expect in this course:
Week 1
During the first session you will receive an introduction to the workshop, followed by a discussion on health and safety in the workplace.
You will then be introduced to the jeweller's saw and how to fit the saw blades. You will then be shown the correct way to pierce (cut out) your metal by hand. After practicing, you can then pierce out a small accent piece which you can solder onto a ring, or later on in during the course, you can use it as a little dangle charm for when you make your bangles later on in the course.
Once you're confident with the saw, we'll move on to the exciting part. Soldering! You will be shown how to operate the two hand torches provided on each student bench. You will learn all about the different types of fluxes, solder, and the soldering tools needed. We then go on make a couple of stacking rings.
This lesson is all about making rings - whether for stacking or spinner rings, chains or hoop earrings - the techniques are the same.
We will show you how to size your ring, using a ring sizer and mandrel. Using copper, our first project will be to make 2 stacking rings. Once you have finished those, you will receive an introduction to the hydraulic press - where using some metal dies, you can turn your rings into lovely wavy designs. Or, if you prefer, you can solder the little accents you pierced out earlier, onto your rings.
Week 2
Rings - Continuing with soldering and ring making - this time you will make a wide band plain copper band. You can wear it just as it is, or it can be the start of a spinner ring. Using hammers and punches, you will be shown some texturing techniques which you can incorporate onto your band. If you would like to turn the band into a spinner, you will then make a spinner band or 2. As with your stacking rings from the previous week these spinners can either be made wavy or you can pierce out some accents, which can be soldered onto the spinner.
You will then be shown 3 different ways of how to flare the edges of your ring to create your spinner ring.
You will also be introduced to jeweller's files and the correct way to file your metal.
Week 3
Earrings - We will stick with soldering as this is one of the fundamental aspects of jewellery making. In this week's lesson, we will concentrate on stud earrings. You will pierce out and texture your own designs, before being shown how to solder stud posts on to them.
We will also go through sanding, and polishing. A love or hate technique but an absolute necessity, if you want to create a professional finished piece of work - you will need to know how to file and polish correctly. You will be shown how to work through the different grades of emery paper, and how to make buff sticks. We will follow that up with filing and polishing by hand, to bring your metal to either a high shine, or a satinised finish. These are all necessary techniques to finish your jewellery to a high standard.
Week 4
Bangles - You will make a thin solid bangle from copper. You will be shown how to size your bangle, then solder and shape it on a mandrel. You can then either attach a dangly bead or charm to it, or you can use dies and the hydraulic press, to create wavy bangles.
You will also make narrow cuff bangle. You will be shown how to measure and size before shaping them on a bangle mandrels. You can then texture the cuffs with hammers. or use decorative punches or stamp a name on it.
Week 5
Layered Designs - You will learn the sweat soldering technique to create layers in your work.
Week 6
Bezel Setting. For our final lesson you will learn how to bezel set a gemstone
As with all new techniques learnt, you will need to practice, practice practice!! But once you've mastered the above techniques, you will be able to make jewellery on your own with a minimum of hand tools. If you'd like to learn more, then you can continue with our level 2 course, where you will be shown many more exciting techniques, such as - reticulation, granulation, tube setting and fold forming and creating hollow shapes using the hydraulic press.
Our small unisex class which is held in our Liverpool workshop, is a great environment to develop your creativity and do something fun with like-minded people. It also offers the opportunity to make lovely original gifts, or may even be the start of a new career.
Each student bench has its own complete set of hand tools which comprise a set of various pliers - including parallel pliers, files - both needle and flat, dividers, a ring clamp, ring mandrel, rawhide hammer and more. Each bench also has its own a complete soldering station with turntable, two hand held torches and various tweezers and a third hand. They also each have a quick release Foredom pendant drill and an overhead light with magnifier.
The workshop also has a larger tool section - such as a rolling mill, hydraulic press, pillar drill and bench grinder and polisher. Although each bench has its own soldering station, we also have a large dedicated solder station. This has two large Sievert gas torches, as well as a Smiths Little torch for all our casting workshops or for those large pieces of jewellery which need more heat than a hand held torch can deliver.
For students under 18, you will need a parent's consent to attend these classes.
We can only accommodate 5 students in our classes; therefore early booking is essential.
Any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Tracy at: [email protected]
During the first session you will receive an introduction to the workshop, followed by a discussion on health and safety in the workplace.
You will then be introduced to the jeweller's saw and how to fit the saw blades. You will then be shown the correct way to pierce (cut out) your metal by hand. After practicing, you can then pierce out a small accent piece which you can solder onto a ring, or later on in during the course, you can use it as a little dangle charm for when you make your bangles later on in the course.
Once you're confident with the saw, we'll move on to the exciting part. Soldering! You will be shown how to operate the two hand torches provided on each student bench. You will learn all about the different types of fluxes, solder, and the soldering tools needed. We then go on make a couple of stacking rings.
This lesson is all about making rings - whether for stacking or spinner rings, chains or hoop earrings - the techniques are the same.
We will show you how to size your ring, using a ring sizer and mandrel. Using copper, our first project will be to make 2 stacking rings. Once you have finished those, you will receive an introduction to the hydraulic press - where using some metal dies, you can turn your rings into lovely wavy designs. Or, if you prefer, you can solder the little accents you pierced out earlier, onto your rings.
Week 2
Rings - Continuing with soldering and ring making - this time you will make a wide band plain copper band. You can wear it just as it is, or it can be the start of a spinner ring. Using hammers and punches, you will be shown some texturing techniques which you can incorporate onto your band. If you would like to turn the band into a spinner, you will then make a spinner band or 2. As with your stacking rings from the previous week these spinners can either be made wavy or you can pierce out some accents, which can be soldered onto the spinner.
You will then be shown 3 different ways of how to flare the edges of your ring to create your spinner ring.
You will also be introduced to jeweller's files and the correct way to file your metal.
Week 3
Earrings - We will stick with soldering as this is one of the fundamental aspects of jewellery making. In this week's lesson, we will concentrate on stud earrings. You will pierce out and texture your own designs, before being shown how to solder stud posts on to them.
We will also go through sanding, and polishing. A love or hate technique but an absolute necessity, if you want to create a professional finished piece of work - you will need to know how to file and polish correctly. You will be shown how to work through the different grades of emery paper, and how to make buff sticks. We will follow that up with filing and polishing by hand, to bring your metal to either a high shine, or a satinised finish. These are all necessary techniques to finish your jewellery to a high standard.
Week 4
Bangles - You will make a thin solid bangle from copper. You will be shown how to size your bangle, then solder and shape it on a mandrel. You can then either attach a dangly bead or charm to it, or you can use dies and the hydraulic press, to create wavy bangles.
You will also make narrow cuff bangle. You will be shown how to measure and size before shaping them on a bangle mandrels. You can then texture the cuffs with hammers. or use decorative punches or stamp a name on it.
Week 5
Layered Designs - You will learn the sweat soldering technique to create layers in your work.
Week 6
Bezel Setting. For our final lesson you will learn how to bezel set a gemstone
As with all new techniques learnt, you will need to practice, practice practice!! But once you've mastered the above techniques, you will be able to make jewellery on your own with a minimum of hand tools. If you'd like to learn more, then you can continue with our level 2 course, where you will be shown many more exciting techniques, such as - reticulation, granulation, tube setting and fold forming and creating hollow shapes using the hydraulic press.
Our small unisex class which is held in our Liverpool workshop, is a great environment to develop your creativity and do something fun with like-minded people. It also offers the opportunity to make lovely original gifts, or may even be the start of a new career.
Each student bench has its own complete set of hand tools which comprise a set of various pliers - including parallel pliers, files - both needle and flat, dividers, a ring clamp, ring mandrel, rawhide hammer and more. Each bench also has its own a complete soldering station with turntable, two hand held torches and various tweezers and a third hand. They also each have a quick release Foredom pendant drill and an overhead light with magnifier.
The workshop also has a larger tool section - such as a rolling mill, hydraulic press, pillar drill and bench grinder and polisher. Although each bench has its own soldering station, we also have a large dedicated solder station. This has two large Sievert gas torches, as well as a Smiths Little torch for all our casting workshops or for those large pieces of jewellery which need more heat than a hand held torch can deliver.
For students under 18, you will need a parent's consent to attend these classes.
We can only accommodate 5 students in our classes; therefore early booking is essential.
Any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Tracy at: [email protected]
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Some techniques covered in the course:
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Hand Tools used:
Everything that you will need for this course. You are welcome to provide your own silver if you want, or you can purchase from Tracy during the class. Each bench has its own complete set of hand tools, soldering station, pendant drill and overhead light. A selection of tools, materials and consumables are available to purchase from Tracy. |
What to Bring:
This is a workshop environment, so your well being and safety is important to us. To ensure this is a safe - but fun environment for you to learn in; we ask that you please:
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More information or queries:
Terms and conditions: https://www.metalandflame.co.uk/tcs.html
Frequently asked questions: www.metalandflame.co.uk/faq.html
Coronavirus Safety Procedures: www.metalandflame.co.uk/coronavirus-rules-and-procedures.html
Contact: https://www.metalandflame.co.uk/contact
Email: [email protected] - Please note, if you email me, please include a phone number, as some of my replies land in your spam folders
Terms and conditions: https://www.metalandflame.co.uk/tcs.html
Frequently asked questions: www.metalandflame.co.uk/faq.html
Coronavirus Safety Procedures: www.metalandflame.co.uk/coronavirus-rules-and-procedures.html
Contact: https://www.metalandflame.co.uk/contact
Email: [email protected] - Please note, if you email me, please include a phone number, as some of my replies land in your spam folders