Events and Classes - Future Events View

Tab setting is a technique that allows you to set your cabochons and never touch a torch! Cold connections are a great way to design creative settings to hold stones. In this class, you’ll learn the intricate techniques of tab setting, a popular method for securely mounting cabochons in your custom designs. Students will work with sheets of metal, jewelers saws, and other basic hand tools to create a one-of-a-kind piece.

Intro To Soldering will take a student from having no knowledge about soldering or even how to light a torch to learning multiple torch soldering techniques and creating a layered metal pendant, hollow-formed earrings, and a copper bead. Students will learn about basic torch types, setting up a soldering space, torch flame types and uses, and torch safety including lighting and extinguishing and the use of the shop metal working area. Students will learn how to anneal metal, how to pattern metal with a rolling mill, soldering techniques (sweat soldering, butt joints, post on sheet and jump rings) and the use of chip, wire, and paste solder. No experience necessary.

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

Intro To Soldering will take a student from having no knowledge about soldering or even how to light a torch to learning multiple torch soldering techniques and creating a layered metal pendant, hollow-formed earrings, and a copper bead. Students will learn about basic torch types, setting up a soldering space, torch flame types and uses, and torch safety including lighting and extinguishing and the use of the shop metal working area. Students will learn how to anneal metal, how to pattern metal with a rolling mill, soldering techniques (sweat soldering, butt joints, post on sheet and jump rings) and the use of chip, wire, and paste solder. No experience necessary.

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

If you have taken the Basic Lapidary class and would like to continue learning how to cut and polish gemstone cabochons, this is the class that will help you improve your skills and move to the next level. This is not a beginner class but the instructor will review the basics with you as you push your skills and build your cutting confidence. The focus will be on improving your design skills as you learn to cut new shapes from agates, jaspers and other materials. You are welcome to bring your own stones to class for discussion. An optivisor is recommended.

If you are interested in turning your cabochons and beads into jewelry but are intimidated by the idea of using a torch in the silversmithing classes, this is the class for you.
In the first part of this class, the instructor will show the students how to make herringbone earrings. The student will learn how to make their own head pins, ear wires, and a herringbone link. The student will also learn how to incorporate the herringbone link into earrings, ring, bracelet, or necklace. No experience required.
After a quick lunch break, the student will learn how to set a cabochon into a beautiful and elegant metal wire framework made out of copper, brass, or silver. In addition, students will learn some tips on twisting the wire and incorporating it into the design seamlessly. No experience required.
Students are welcome to bring their own cabochons (defined as a stone that has a flat back and a domed front) and its size should be between 1” to 1.5” in diameter and the shape that is uniform such as oval, round, tear drop.

Precious Metal Clay (PMC) Is an actual Clay comprised of fine metal particles, water and a binder. It can be molded, textured, cut, shaped and fired at high temperature for sufficient tie for the metal to sinter, leaving a shaped item of 99% metal. PMC allows you to design and fabricated a small piece of jewelry without soldering or sawing. This class will teach the basics of working with PMC+, a proprietary formulation of silver clay. No experience is required.

Precious Metal Clay (PMC) Is an actual Clay comprised of fine metal particles, water and a binder. It can be molded, textured, cut, shaped and fired at high temperature for sufficient tie for the metal to sinter, leaving a shaped item of 99% metal. PMC allows you to design and fabricated a small piece of jewelry without soldering or sawing. This class will teach the basics of working with PMC+, a proprietary formulation of silver clay. No experience is required.

Intro To Soldering will take a student from having no knowledge about soldering or even how to light a torch to learning multiple torch soldering techniques and creating a layered metal pendant, hollow-formed earrings, and a copper bead. Students will learn about basic torch types, setting up a soldering space, torch flame types and uses, and torch safety including lighting and extinguishing and the use of the shop metal working area. Students will learn how to anneal metal, how to pattern metal with a rolling mill, soldering techniques (sweat soldering, butt joints, post on sheet and jump rings) and the use of chip, wire, and paste solder. No experience necessary.

Intro To Soldering will take a student from having no knowledge about soldering or even how to light a torch to learning multiple torch soldering techniques and creating a layered metal pendant, hollow-formed earrings, and a copper bead. Students will learn about basic torch types, setting up a soldering space, torch flame types and uses, and torch safety including lighting and extinguishing and the use of the shop metal working area. Students will learn how to anneal metal, how to pattern metal with a rolling mill, soldering techniques (sweat soldering, butt joints, post on sheet and jump rings) and the use of chip, wire, and paste solder. No experience necessary.

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

This is a potluck working day for the club to prepare the coming September 2025 Rock and Gem show. The location of the picnic and the food signup will be announced later in the guild chat.

PREREQUISITE: Beginning Cabochon/Intro to Lapidary Cutting Class completed. No exceptions. Please do not register if you have not taken the Guild’s Intro to Lapidary course. Please contact classes@gemcuttersguild.com if you have any questions.

Learn how to do basic intarsia. Intarsia is the art of cutting stones and gluing them together to create new designs. It is a way of taking some simple stones and creating a dramatic one of a kind piece. You will design your own square or rectangular piece and one triangular piece. You will create, glue and grind and polish two pieces ready to mount or display.

PREREQUISITE: Beginning Cabochon/Intro to Lapidary Cutting Class completed. No exceptions. Please do not register if you have not taken the Guild’s Intro to Lapidary course. Please contact classes@gemcuttersguild.com if you have any questions.

Learn how to do basic intarsia. Intarsia is the art of cutting stones and gluing them together to create new designs. It is a way of taking some simple stones and creating a dramatic one of a kind piece. You will design your own square or rectangular piece and one triangular piece. You will create, glue and grind and polish two pieces ready to mount or display.

Using and Making your own little screws while making your life easy! This workshop is designed to refine skills while exploring new ones. Most metalsmiths know how to rivet, it’s a great way to connect two pieces of metal without heating anything up.

In this workshop we will be making our own small screws by using micro tap and die kits
available at most jewelry tool suppliers. We will also be tapping into small holes adding
threads to accept screws. Students will be able to gain experience with the tap and die kit by performing a series of exercises. We will explore decorative nuts, threaded tubes, caps and the mysterious “SCRIVET”…the screw turned rivet! Work time will be available to create a simple piece of jewelry that can be held together by screws. Such as a framed photo or a two tone pendant.

The following are some good examples of projects, and when a tap and die kit is an
“ACE IN THE HOLE’ for metalsmiths.
…adding pinback findings to a piece of jewelry with lots of fragile solder seams.
…attaching thin sheets of gold over a base of silver.
…attaching an enameled piece onto another piece of metal where a rivet will not work.
…creating a piece that may need to be taken apart one day.
…adding hinges to panels to create a bracelet.
…repair jobs where flame cannot be used.

Instructor will supply drill bits, tap and die kits as well as bronze base metal and silver wire for making screws. Students should bring in some 18-20 gauge sheet in silver, bronze or copper.

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

Have you always been fascinated by the beauty of faceted gemstones and want to learn how to cut one yourself? Bernie Emery, an experienced facetor will guide you to cut your first faceted stone. In this 4 day class, students will learn to cut and polish a 57-facet round brilliant quartz gemstone, how to identify well-cut stones, select rough material, and see whether they enjoy this fascinating hobby. Bring an Optivisor and/or a loupe. Beginners are encouraged!

Have you always been fascinated by the beauty of faceted gemstones and want to learn how to cut one yourself? Bernie Emery, an experienced facetor will guide you to cut your first faceted stone. In this 4 day class, students will learn to cut and polish a 57-facet round brilliant quartz gemstone, how to identify well-cut stones, select rough material, and see whether they enjoy this fascinating hobby. Bring an Optivisor and/or a loupe. Beginners are encouraged!

Have you always been fascinated by the beauty of faceted gemstones and want to learn how to cut one yourself? Bernie Emery, an experienced facetor will guide you to cut your first faceted stone. In this 4 day class, students will learn to cut and polish a 57-facet round brilliant quartz gemstone, how to identify well-cut stones, select rough material, and see whether they enjoy this fascinating hobby. Bring an Optivisor and/or a loupe. Beginners are encouraged!

Have you always been fascinated by the beauty of faceted gemstones and want to learn how to cut one yourself? Bernie Emery, an experienced facetor will guide you to cut your first faceted stone. In this 4 day class, students will learn to cut and polish a 57-facet round brilliant quartz gemstone, how to identify well-cut stones, select rough material, and see whether they enjoy this fascinating hobby. Bring an Optivisor and/or a loupe. Beginners are encouraged!

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

This class is an introduction to the basics of cutting and polishing gemstone cabochons

In this class, students will learn the stone carving technique, intaglio. Intaglio is the process of engraving designs into the surface of a gemstone, utilizing semi-precious and precious gemstones. Students will be provided with glass cabochons to practice the technique but are welcome to bring their own stones to work with. Some examples include agate, jasper, chalcedony, amethyst, obsidian and garnet.