DIY:
Sterling Silver Pendant with Cabochon

August 7

This one-day workshop shows students how to create a beautiful sterling silver pendant with a cabochon gemstone. Students are introduced to a variety of tools while learning how to cut a sterling silver circle, solder on a pre-made bezel and a bail and set the gemstone. Class also reviews how to texture, polish and patina their pendant.

Faceted Stones:
Traditional Basket Setting


July 18
 

Students will learn how to create in the traditional style of a basket setting out of sterling silver wire. Basket settings have prongs that hold the gemstone in place and utilize a horizontal band at the base of the setting to support the gemstone, this horizontal band is what created the basket. This class builds upon skills learned in the Simple Basket Setting class and focuses on creating traditional basket settings for a variety of gemstone shapes including marquis, pear, oval, square, etc.

Faceted Stones:
Flush Setting

August 22

 

Students will learn how to create a flush setting and then practice it over and over again creating samples and a final wearable ring. A flush setting is a setting where a is drilled, and shaped allowing the stone to sit flush with the top of the metal. Once set the top of the stone sits “flush” with the top of the metal or the band of the ring. Students are encouraged to bring a broken burr and pin vise to create the tool for setting the stones. They are also encouraged to bring a finished ring band created in 16g to set stones in once they feel confident with their new skill.

Silversmithing 101:
How to Solder




September 9-23

​

Most jewelers fall in love with making jewelry at first light of the torch. Often, it is not until later that you realize you don’t fully understand what is happening when you solder and you may be looking for advice on not melting your hard work.During this 2-day class students will learn in-depth tricks and tips for soldering...

​

Full description on BMAG's website.

Earrings: 
Hooks, Hinges & More



September 11-5

Earrings go with everything from athleisure to jeans to summer dresses. One of the most challenging parts of making earrings is coming up with the right finding that is secure, fits the design and doesn't have a mass produced look. Learn how to fabricate earring hooks, hinged posts with snap closures for hoops and variations on both of these. Students will complete this course with several new pairs of earrings to wear home and the skills necessary to apply these findings in future work.

Cold Connections: Rivets & Simple Prongs
 
September 25-26

This 2-day class is for beginning jewelers starting their own torch-less home studio practice.  This class reviews how to create turtle prongs. Turtle prongs is a technique used to connect cabochons, enameled works, etc. to a designed piece of metal without a torch; they are named “turtle” because the animal it resembles before the prongs are bent upwards to hold the gemstone; there are many possible variations for shape. This class is also reviews rivets, textures & finishing techniques.

Metalsmithing & Jewelry 1

Oct 14-Nov 18

In this six-week series students learn essential processes and techniques while creating the foundation for a good studio practice. Class time is spent learning processes including piercing metal with a jeweler’s saw, adding texture to metal, soldering and annealing metal with a torch. Class also reviews how to create & bezel set a cabochon gemstone while creating a stunning sterling silver ring. Students leave class with a variety of samples & several finished pieces including a ring and a pendant.

 DIY:
The Art of the Earring

October 9

This one-day workshop shows students of any skill level how to make a set of sterling silver earrings. Participants start with wire, and sheet metal and turn their materials into either stud or dangle earrings. Students are introduced to basic skills that are essential to metalsmithing, including sawing, soldering, texturing and finishing metal. 

Beginning Jewelry:
Ring in a 
Day

October 23

This one-day workshop introduces the basics of creating a sterling silver ring. Students start with sterling silver sheet and learn how to size, saw, solder, polish and then texture the ring. Students leave with solid foundation for silversmithing and a beautiful new sterling silver ring!

Toolmaking
& Texture



November 20-21

This class unveils one of the mysteries of texturing metal. Students will learn several tool making techniques and modifications to assist them in creating their own signature textures on their metal. Students will modify an old hammer to create a signature texture for their jewelry collection. Then, using this and a variety of other hammers, we experiment with a variety of textures and finishes on metal. We will also learn how to create our own chasing tools out of tool steel. These chasing tools can be used for chasing and repousse, stone setting and for adding texture into small areas.

Silversmithing 101:
Rings


December 18
 

Silversmithing 101 builds on Beginning Jewelry principles and teaches how to work with sterling silver. Together we will create several styles of sterling silver rings. Each ring style assists in reviewing soldering skills through repeated practice. Once soldered, the shape of each ring will be manipulated through filing, sanding, and more. We will also review finishing and polishing practices. Students will leave class with 4 different styles of ring bands: 1 wire band, 1 tapered band, 1 wide band and 1 split band.