Jewellery Making for Improvers (JE89 Summer)

Learn jewellery making techniques including sawing, forming, soldering and enamelling to create and develop your own jewellery designs. This course is perfect for those wanting to improve their jewellery making skills!

What will you learn on this course?

Learn how to design and make your own unique pieces of jewellery in copper and sterling silver. This course covers a range of traditional jewellery making skills and techniques including:

• Saw piercing
• Filing
• Soldering
• Polishing
• Texturing
• Forming
• Enamelling

As this is an improvers course, students will be encouraged to develop their own designs with guidance and support as required.

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 created 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 new 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?

The course is aimed at improvers level aged 18+ years. This course offers the opportunity for those who have completed a beginner course and are looking to develop their skills.

It is open to students with some previous experience who would like to develop skills, learn some new techniques and work on their own designs with the tutor’s support and guidance.

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.