Learn jewellery making and become an accomplished artisan at our Jewellery Making Atelier. This is a unique opportunity to spend one day a week working with Melanie Ihnen, a skilled and caring educator who is also a talented jeweller with her own practice. She will assist you in creating unique pieces no matter your level.
The Jewellery Making Atelier is an exciting course for students starting their jewellery-making adventure or those at an intermediate level or above. Offering a broad range of subjects and techniques, participants are encouraged to produce – through design and making – jewellery pieces that are individual in design and well made.
Come and enjoy the camaraderie of making with like-minded people on a Thursday.
At A Glance
- $750 inc GST
- Returning Student Discount and Pay In Instalments Available
- Thursday - 10 am to 4 pm | 7-week term | 42 hours tuition
Love the daytime Atelier class. This class has been a favourite of mine for the last few years. We are able to follow Mel's brief and interpret it in our own way or develop our own individual project. Mel's guidance is available in all ways. Thanks to all who make it such an interesting day.
Anne, 2021ABOUT THE COURSE
This is a wonderful course for new students, continuing students and practising jewellers offering a broad range of subjects and techniques. The aim of the studio class is to be as flexible as possible to meet individual students’ needs in a creative studio environment.
Beginner students will learn the foundation skills of jewellery making, saw piercing, texturing, forming and soldering while making a band ring as their first project. Then, beginners will move on to a project of their own design in consultation with Melanie. Please note that beginners’ places are capped at 4 per term.
Continuing students will learn relevant new techniques and explore design ideas conceptually each term and build upon them through the development of projects. Techniques covered may include but are not limited to hollow forming, particular findings and married metals.
The SquarePeg Atelier will assist participants in developing design excellence while expanding a depth of knowledge in jewellery techniques. Students’ needs are individually met in a warm learning environment in a professional jewellery studio that is home to 14 contemporary makers.
What To Expect
What You Learn
Beginner Students
Terminology – learn to talk about jewellery making like a pro.
Accurate Measuring – Learn how to size your ring and measure for a range of projects
Metal cutting – students are taught how to saw-pierce metal using professional jewellery saw frames
Texturing and stamping – whether it’s a hammered texture, or stamping with letter stamps on metal, we have a range of tools for students to experiment with
Roller printing – learn how to impress directly onto metal using a specialist rolling mill. Print with feathers, leaves, fabric, art papers, hand-cut stencils and much more
Soldering – using special jewellery torches students learn how to anneal and solder metal to join the silver together to make a ring band
Drilling
Forming metal – how to shape and dome metal
Finishing – learn how to file and use emery paper to give your ring a final finish
Patinate – use our special blackening compound to highlight parts of your design
Intermediate and Advanced Students
Learn new skills and techniques concurrently or per term as required, with a concept explored at each stage. Design and create your own project while introducing new techniques to your repertoire and finessing your existing skills.
Discussions amongst the group about skills to be covered are welcome.
Jewellery techniques may include:
- The fundamentals of jewellery making.
- Soldering and metal forming.
- Use of the hydraulic press
- Married metals
- Making catches and fittings.
- Stone setting techniques that are not otherwise offered in our specialist workshops.
- Other techniques depending on the student’s needs
- If you would like to discuss your desired outcomes please email us at mail@squarepegstudios.com.au
What You Make
Beginner Students
Sterling Silver band ring and at least one more project of your own design.
Intermediate and Advanced Students
Jewellery of your own design.
The goal is to provide participants with appropriate knowledge and skills in order to
- Interpret design theory in a manner relevant for making jewellery
- Develop problem-solving skills in a creative and innovative manner in relation to jewellery design and making
- Perform metalworking techniques
- Give participants skills for creative expression
Class Size
To ensure that students have the best learning experience, our class sizes are capped at 10 students.
Please note that beginners’ places are capped at 4 per term.
Mid-Term Breaks
Term 5 – 8th October, 2024
Practicalities
What is included?
New Beginner or Intermediate Students
- A wide range of hand tools and equipment.
- Sterling silver to make the first ring project
- Base metals for sampling and practice.
- A selection of teas, coffee and biscuits.
Returning Intermediate and Advanced Students
- A wide range of hand tools and equipment.
- Some of the consumables you need to make your projects, pickle and solder are supplied
- At this level, as students will have developed preferences for particular consumables appropriate for their project needs and in an attempt to keep the ongoing classes priced at an affordable level, students are expected to have their own consumables such as emery, saw blades, drill bits and other specialist bits.
- We have a small emergency store of saw blades, drill bits, base metals and silver that can be purchased at the studio. Your tutor will assist you with how to shop for and order additional materials as required.
- A selection of teas, coffee and biscuits.
What to Bring
- A notebook or sketchbook, pen and pencil
- Magnifying glasses or a loupe are really helpful for fine work
- Any projects you have on the go that you would like to complete
- Any materials that you may be able to use for your projects
- The consumables you like to use, saw blades, emery, drill bits etc.
- Your ideas and creativity
- Lunch 😋
Safety
- We take safety very seriously at SquarePeg.
- All students must wear proper enclosed shoes (no sandals or thongs), long pants or skirts and have long hair tied back.
- We provide safety equipment and training on how to use all relevant equipment.
Payment Options
- Enrol Now – enrol below to secure your place on the spot!
- Pay in Instalments – Enrol early and take advantage of our payment by instalments to spread your payments out over three instalments. This option is offered at check out. 40% deposit on enrollment. 30% instalment six weeks out from your course start date. Final 30% payment three weeks before the course start date.
- Peace of Mind Booking – purchase refund protection at checkout. Terms and Conditions apply.
Is the Date you Would like to join sold out?
Please send us an email to register your interest and to go on a waitlist. mail@squarepegstudios.com.au
A wonderful Atelier term. I learned so much from Melanie both from a skill and production perspective. Mel helps you evolve your individual practice, and the knowledge and skills I've gained have taken my pieces to the next level. I've signed up again for the next term :)
Nicole, 2021Our Tutors
Why choose a jewellery making course at SquarePeg Studios?
Our courses are taught by highly experienced and passionate teachers who are practising contemporary jewellers. This is the closest to an accredited course – without the assignments, stress and cost – that Sydney has to offer. Students not only gain the satisfaction of designing and hand-making their own piece of jewellery they also have the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at a contemporary professional jewellery studio while learning great new skills in jewellery techniques and design.
Melanie Ihnen
