Learn to Make Jewellery the Professional Way
Crafts are becoming more popular these days – partly because people are trying to beat the economic crunch by making their own clothes, furniture, and accessories, but also because, I think, many of us are looking for the satisfaction and pride that successful craft work can give.
All kinds of craft tuition is now available, from the ‘traditional’ evening class at a local college through to new-generation outfits such as The Make Lounge (map) and I Knit London (map) which I covered in an earlier post.
But I have a thing for bling, and a new sweater or jacket doesn’t quite cut it for me. So the London Jewellery School (map) is a real find.
It offers courses in all kinds of jewellery techniques, from beading through to silverwork, enamelling, and kiln-fused glass. Once you’re reasonably expert you can even rent a bench – giving you access to equipment such as the kiln, rolling mill, and soldering kit you’re unlikely to have at home – to make your own projects.
While beading is quite easy to get started on your own, some techniques, such as fused glass and silversmithing, are tricky to learn – you really need an expert tutor – and buying your own equipment could cost hundreds of pounds before you start. That’s not good news if, like me, you want to save a bit of money by making your own jewellery. All the classes at the London Jewellery School are taught by expert jewellers; even professionals turn up at some of the advanced classes, I’m told, to polish up their techniques or learn about new areas such as resin jewellery.
I’m particularly interested by the ‘introduction to gemstones’ class. I was in India recently and fascinated by the wealth of gemstones on offer – but I didn’t feel confident enough in my ability to tell the real thing from the fakes to splash out on a handful of rubies or a string of amethyst. This class addresses the needs of buyers as well as jewellers, showing how to buy gemstones and how they can be used in jewellery designs.
It’s one of a number of taster classes, many based around a simple project such as a silver charm or a fashion necklace, which can be completed in a single evening. The ‘tasters’ only cost £35, which is not bad for nearly three hours’ tuition – and if you’re making a project, you get to take it home!
Other classes take one or two days, and there are evening classes too for anyone who can commit that amount of time.
Not convinced? Well I do notice that all the classes include ‘plenty of tea, coffee and luxury biscuits’. I think that’s my decision made! Only problem… I can’t decide which class to start with!
Photo by Bunky’s Pickle on flickr
