Jewellery for Beginners

About this course

Participants develop foundational skills for making jewellery from silver, copper and brass. Demonstrations introduce techniques including annealing, soldering, cutting, drilling, filing, surface patterning and forming sheet or wire into three-dimensional pieces. Learning is organised around group briefs, experimentation and the later development of individual designs, with regular discussion, visual handouts and individual tuition. Participants may also pursue personal projects alongside or instead of group work. Informal progress reviews involve discussion with the tutor and group, self-reflection, and, where used, records in a sketchbook or Individual Learning Plan.

What you'll learn

• Apply health and safety procedures when working with jewellery-making materials and equipment.
• Solder metal components and use a jeweller's saw to cut shapes.
• Refine jewellery elements with files and emery papers, including creating surface patterns on sheet metal.
• Form rings and other three-dimensional shapes from metal sheet or wire.
• Select suitable materials, tools and techniques to develop a design from an idea to a finished piece.
• Identify uses for jewellery-making materials, settings and fastenings.

Is this course right for you?

The course is intended for complete beginners as well as people revisiting silver jewellery-making after a break. Learning combines group projects and demonstrations with individually supported work, allowing participants to develop designs at their own pace.

• No previous jewellery-making or creative experience is required.
• Learners returning to jewellery making can use the course as a refresher.
• Personal projects can be developed alongside or instead of group projects.
• Some design research, planning and practical finishing outside class may be helpful.

Before you go

• A fully equipped workshop with larger machinery and hand tools is available for student use.
• General consumables, including saw blades, emery papers, solder and small amounts of base metals, are covered by the course allowance.
• Participants planning to use precious metals, gemstones or particularly large amounts of other consumables must supply these themselves; supplier and ordering guidance is available during the course.
• A notebook or sketchbook is recommended for design ideas and technical notes.
• Additional support is available for literacy, numeracy, speakers of other languages, and learners with learning difficulties or disabilities.