7 January 2025 - 1 April 2025 ( 36 hours, 12 weeks )
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Waterloo Centre
Learn to carve wax into a three dimensional jewellery form. We will get this cast into silver or bronze offsite. Explore studio casting techniques such as delft clay and cuttle fish. Make your cast metal objects into finished jewellery pieces.
This is a practical course and you will start making your own pieces of jewellery from the start. We will be exploring wax carving. You will learn how to carve and use heat to form your wax into a 3 dimensional piece of jewellery. We will send our waxes to a casting company to be cast in either silver or bronze. We will also be exploring casting small scale jewellery pieces in the studio with the use of cuttlefish. Its a fantastic way of understanding the basics of casting metal, making a mould and working with hot metal safely. On the course we will also be learning about the wider context of jewellery design such as London’s jewellery quarter (Hatton Garden), jewellery designers, exhibitions and galleries to visit. You will get used to keeping a benchbook for recording processes, ideas and designs. Where appropriate and time permitting we will add gemstone settings to our pieces.
The course is suitable for complete beginners, and is also suitable for students with experience of metalwork and jewellery making who are keen to develop and to extend their skills. Curiosity and readiness to experiment with tools and materials which may be unfamiliar and challenging to you are always an advantage! Continuing students will be able to improve on existing jewellery making skills applying their skills to their own designs with the help of your tutor and learn and apply a new skill : wax carving
The jewellery studio is on the 3rd floor of the main building, there is lift access. You need a moderate level of fitness and arm strength to be able to form metal. Some chemicals used may be harmful in pregnancy. Please let the tutor know if you are pregnant and they will advise you as to necessary precautions
All tools needed to take part in the course are available in the workshop. We also provide basic materials in reasonable quantities, such as base metals, paper, acrylics, enamel etc. There are some items you will need to purchase yourself such as precious metals (silver and gold), stones, saw blades and specific sized drill bits. Your tutor will help you assess your metal requirements for each project and provide a list of suppliers. Some silver will be available to buy from your tutor should you wish to use it. Jewellery casting will be done off-site by a specialist company. You will calculate the estimated cost of your casting should you wish to get your pieces cast in silver or bronze, so that there are no surprises. Please bring: an apron, a small hard back notebook & a fine permanent pen Please wear suitable footwear.
