Events and Classes - Month View

Presentation called "Faceting Alternative Materials" Facet rough will be available for sale

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.