Jewellery Making for Beginners (JE01 Summer)

Learn basic jewellery making techniques including soldering, saw piercing and filing and make metal jewellery from your own designs. This is perfect for starting your jewellery making journey!

What will you learn on this course?

Learn the skills necessary to design and make your own unique piece of jewellery. Experiment with copper, brass, gilding metal and sterling silver. You will be taught a range of traditional jewellery making techniques including:

• Sawing and cutting out metals
• Soldering to join metals
• Polishing and buffing
• Forming
• Casting techniques
• Vitreous enamelling
• Finishing processes

These techniques will be taught through a series of exercises such as:

• Making a simple ring to a set design
• Making a pendant to your own design
• Making and enamelling a piece of jewellery to your own design

The first exercise will be intensively supported but as you gain skills and confidence you will be supported to develop your own designs and encouraged to work independently.

MAC’s fully equipped jewellery studio has work benches, a soldering hearth and torch, enamelling kiln, polishing motor, and various hand tools which the tutor will teach you to use safely and correctly.

On completing the course, you will have gained confidence in basic bench skills, developed your fine motor skills and hand eye coordination, and several pieces of jewellery you have designed and made to wear.

Learners who create valuable jewellery from precious metals in our Jewellery Studio will now have the opportunity to have their work hallmarked at the Birmingham Assay Office using the official MAC hallmark. This exciting partnership offers MAC learners a discounted rate and opportunity to use the MAC hallmark to authenticate their finished designs, alongside access to discounted specialist courses run by the Assay Office.

Who is this course for?

This course is suitable for adults aged 18+ years. It is open to beginners with no previous experience as full instruction and guidance is given, and to improvers who are looking to refine their skills.

At the heart of MAC is a focus on accessibility and inclusion. Please contact us to discuss your specific access needs. A high level of manual dexterity and tool handling is required. The room is wheelchair accessible. A support worker or carer may assist; carers must book a complimentary ticket if attending to provide support.

Do you need to bring anything?

Students are required to wear flat closed-toe shoes, preferably trainers or boots, as this is a workshop environment with heavy tools, soldering equipment, and a kiln. Unsuitable footwear may result in the student not being able to take part in the session.

Long hair must be tied back. Protective equipment will be provided with the guidance of the tutor.

You will need to purchase materials for the jewellery you wish to make as below.

Are there any additional costs?

There are additional costs for materials such as base metals, sterling silver, solder, saw blades, and findings. These can be purchased from MAC individually or in packs.

Jewellery Start Pack – 2x copper sheets, 2x brass sheets, 2x wet & dry paper, 2M copper wire, 12x saw blades.

Silver by the gram.

Discounted hallmarking services using the MAC official hallmark. Cost will be determined by individual items and subject to a handling fee.

Please contact us for pricing information.

Who teaches this course?

Vanessa Miller

During the Summer Term, April 2025, this course may be affected by building work taking place at MAC. Participants will be notified in advance of any updates.