Jewellery Making classes
in st albans
Jewellery making Courses in St Albans, Hertfordshire
The St Albans School of Jewellery offer classes and courses to meet the diverse needs of all our students. The classes provide in depth tuition in jewellery making for students of all abilities ranging from the complete beginner experimenting with a new hobby to the more technically able, experienced student.
The classes have a maximum of 5 students per class to maintain an optimum student to tutor ratio. Within this framework we are able to work on a one-to-one basis, enabling each student to pursue their own goals at their own pace.
Jewellery CLASSES for Beginners
Beginners
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Simple Band Ring
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Domed and Textured Earrings & Pendant
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Pierced out Keyring or Pendant
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Cabochon Stone Setting
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Textured Hollow Form Pillow Pendant
Techniques Covered
Techniques Beginners
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Marking Out
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Sawing
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Filing
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Annealing
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Soldering
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Forming and Shaping
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Hammering
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Refining and Finishing
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Polishing
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Adding Texture to Metal
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Drilling
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Cabochon Stone Setting
This course is ideal for the complete novice or for those who have little experience in jewellery making at the bench.
In this eight-week course, you will complete at least five projects. In your first project, you will learn how to create a simple band ring, and once you have completed this, you will progress onto other projects.
This course is a great introduction to jewellery making and has been specifically designed to ensure you gain a good understanding of the the fundamentals of jewellery making at the bench.
These projects can be carried out on an 8 week term or on 4 - 5 of our Sunday classes.
If the eight-week term does not suit your schedule, we ensure that the same syllabus is covered on our Sunday classes. In this course, you will learn how to create the following:
It is recommended that you bring the following items with you to the course:
· A Sketch/Notebook and Pencil
· Closed Toe Shoes
· A Band to Tie Long Hair
· An Apron or Clothes That You Don’t Mind Getting Slightly Dirty
Important Information
Payment for classes
Payment must be made in full at the time of booking for a Sunday class and a deposit of £100 for a weekday course; this confirms your place on the class.
Payment can be made by debit or credit card over the phone, drop by the studio and BACS payment.
We cannot hold places on classes and courses unless we have payment in advance.
Places are allocated on a first come first served basis.
Once booked, the class or course is non -transferable and non refundable.
Missed Classes
Missed classes cannot be rescheduled. We hope by giving the dates in advance you will be able to make arrangements to attend class.
If you have to cancel a class or course, we regret that no refund can be issued. However, if we are able to fill your space we will refund minus a £10 administration fee.
Class Cancellation
If The St Albans School of Jewellery need to cancel a class we will issue a full refund or transfer for the class or course.
Materials
Materials in the form of saw blades, solder and emery paper are provided for your first class but you will need to purchase your own materials thereafter. These items are available to purchase at our workshop.
We do provide the base metals to make your first project. However, should you wish to work in silver there would be an additional charge. This will vary depending on what you are making.
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Intermediate Jewellery making classes
This level is suitable for those who have completed our beginners’ course or if you have some jewellery making experience and understand the basics of jewellery making. In these classes you can work on your own designs or continue to further your knowledge by following projects set by us.
Current students on this course range from those who are already working as jewellery makers/ designers to those who are making gifts for family and friends and those who have simply fallen in love with the art of jewellery making.
The prime focus of these classes is to build your confidence by allowing you to express your creativity through building on what you have been taught and developing your own designs through a series of expanding techniques. Some techniques covered in these classes:
Intermediate Techniques
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Hollow Form Work
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Wax Carving For Beginners
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Fabrication
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Forging
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Repousse
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Chasing
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Hydraulic Pressing
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Fly Pressing
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Intermediate Level Stone Setting
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Flush, Claw & Tension setting
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Reticulation
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Granulation
Please contact us for the details of forthcoming scheduled classes and availability.
Advanced Jewellery Classes
These projects are perfect when you have an in-depth understanding and experience in jewellery making techniques. You will have a strong and clear design identity but may need some extra guidance on developing your own style and creating more complex designs. Some of techniques for the more advanced student are noted below.
Advanced Techniques
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Advanced Stone Setting
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Hollow Form Fabrication
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Hinged Bangles with Box Catches
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Wax Carving
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Linking Systems
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Hinged Lockets
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Advanced Fabrication
Please contact us for the details of forthcoming scheduled classes and availability.
Create Your Own Piece of Silver Jewellery
Learn how to make your own piece of silver jewellery in a friendly, relaxed environment.
Supporting you throughout the process, we will show you how to pierce, shape, form, construct, solder, file and polish your very own jewellery piece.
On this taster class you can make either a silver band ring, set of three stacker rings, pendant and earring set, cufflinks, keyring or a bangle.
Lets Get Making !
We provide everything you need, including all silver and equipment for the day. This workshop is ideal when you want to spend a day with your friends, family or work colleagues having fun and learning a new skill.
5hr Taster Workshop
This workshop takes place on a Sunday from 10:00a.m. – 3:00p.m. The cost depends on which item you are making but to give you an guide. The cost would be approx. £140 - £180 per person and this includes the silver .
“Had A Great Day and Left with My Handmade Unique Silver Ring”
“I had been thinking of trying silversmithing and jewellery making for some time and heard about the skills of the designer and goldsmith Martin Hopton through a friend who was a student at Central St Martins College Of Art & Design in London. I contacted The St Albans School of Jewellery studio in Hertfordshire and booked on a Sunday class. As a complete novice, my first project was to make a silver ring. The first step was to measure and mark out the width of ring I wanted to make on sheet metal. Using a piercing saw and a steady hand I carefully cut off the strip without deviating from the marked line. After this, I filed the edges of the strip of metal to ensure it was smooth and perfectly straight. The next stage in making my ring involved a process called annealing which required me to heat the sheet of metal with a small blow torch. Great fun! I learned that this process gives the metal the flexibility it needs for bending. Once I had achieved this I decided to add a pattern to my band and chose to emboss a series of small letters onto the band using a metal letter print and a rolling mill. To get the spherical shape I then manipulated the embossed strip into a round shape to fit around a mandrel by tapping it with a leather mallet. I was then shown how to solder the two ends of the band together to form a complete circle of metal. For a fantastic finish, my ring then required further filing and papering. This ensured smooth edges and any fire stain from the metal that occurred whilst annealing disappeared. Using a pendant motor, the final stage of making my ring was to polish it. Incredibly, the process suddenly transformed my band from a dull matt colour to a bright, sparkling silver and I was absolutely thrilled with the results! Martin and Tracy were excellent tutors providing clear guidance throughout and yet allowing me the freedom to experiment and apply the techniques myself. Had a great day and left with my handmade unique silver ring which made a wonderful birthday present for my sister, who was thrilled.”