Make Your Own Silver Locket
Stage Three - Advanced Jewellery

Sydney’s only original Make Your Own Silver Locket course at The Bench. During this class students will concentrate on further developing their soldering skills and hand fabrication skills. You will build your confidence level with the micro torch by soldering a locket using sterling silver. You will design and make a silver locket of your design with a functional soldered hinge and clasp - The Bench provide you will all the materials needed and expert tuition.

The demonstrations will be fabrication-intensive and will cover locket construction step-by-step from start to finish. Additionally, students will learn to customize their own unique design on the front face of the locket. Tube setting small stones & engraving will also be discussed.

The cost of the Make Your Own Silver Locket workshop is calculated on the ever-fluctuating cost of silver. Fees at time of purchase are based on cost of Silver at time of advertising the course.

When: 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Duration: 8 weeks (20 hours)
Class size: Maximum 8 people
Cost: $650

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As part of Joynton & 107 Projects, The Bench will provide subsidised courses to residents in the Zetland, Sydney area. For further information please email us at jewellery@thebench.sydney

ABOUT THE COURSE

Prerequisite

You must have completed Learn to Make Jewellery Stage One - An Introduction or equivalent and Stage Two Soldering Intensive or equivalent.
For example, a minimum of 40 hours jewellery training.

Course Objectives

During this course, not only will you make your very own heirloom locket, your expertise in jewellery making will exponentially develop. Upon completion of your locket, you may wish to set a stone (if you have completed The Bench Stone Setting course, why not set it yourself?). Alternatively, if you have not personalised your locket with a texture, you may want to have it personalised with engraving. The options are bountiful!

You will be guided through the following techniques over the first few weeks:

Soldering - Learn how to effectively solder small and large-scale pieces using silver.

Different techniques - Soldering pieces with multiple solder joints: a hollow shape, bezels, bails, jump-rings for jewellery and findings. Advanced techniques to remove fire scale and surface finishing on metals.

The science behind the technique - Preparing metals, flux and solder types for soldering. Flame and heat use

Hollow Forming - How to turn a 2D object into a 3D hollow form.

Findings/ connections - You will gain an understanding in how to attach clasps and connections or additional finer details such as making hinges and joining smaller components.

Advanced soldering – You will be able to undertake more complex solder joins, knowing what type of join and solder to use for the job at hand.

Confidence - Feel more confident at the torch while elevating your soldering aptitude, through this intensive weekly class.

Course Outcomes

All students complete their own silver locket. This intensive class will focus heavily on techniques and samples, with the objective of building up high levels of jewellery making proficiency as the instructor leads students with industry level expertise. Numerous soldering techniques will be practiced intensively while working towards the completion of a simple locket exploring techniques in joinery (soldering, making a hinge & riveting), various levels of intricacy, and soldering methodology. You will continue to master a variety of techniques from pick to stick soldering. You will develop an understanding of how to control the flame of the torch, what makes solder flow, and how to problem solve quickly.

Discussion between tutor and the students as a group and as individuals will take place each week, to guide you to improve your skills.

What’s Included

A $150 materials pack is supplied for you to make a sterling silver locket. Included in kit are: Hard, Medium & Easy silver solder, sterling silver sheet, sterling silver wire, base metals for samples and emery. If you wish to work on additional projects, a selection of materials will be available to buy from your tutor at cost price. Students may purchase and bring yellow gold and yellow gold solder to work on a side project.

We feel it’s important to acknowledge the fees for both classes are a little more than our usual pricing structure. We try to provide all essential materials and will always help those less financially able to attend classes. These courses involve substantially more materials than other classes whence the pricing structure. We have instalment plans available and can always adapt this JUST FOR YOU! Please email us if you have any questions or concerns.

The Tutor: Erin Keys

Erin Keys has over 20 years experience as a jeweller, designer and educator with a diverse range of achievements in various facets of craft and design. Participating in nearly 100 exhibitions in Australia and overseas since 1999, her practice spans one-off exhibition pieces, bespoke commissions and a limited edition laser cut production range available through several stockists.

Erin has taught beginner to advanced jewellery courses at Sturt Summer School, JamFactory, SquarePeg Studios and is currently a sessional teacher at UNSW Art & Design.

For the past 10 years Erin has had extensive involvement with design and education, working as a Jewellery Design Developer for over 5 years at one of Australia's leading design companies Dinosaur Designs and for Louise Olsen X ALEX AND TRAHANAS.

The Workshop

The Bench is a modern, light filled, industry standard workshop focusing on education and training. It is a relaxed and friendly place to learn traditional and contemporary jewellery techniques, a space to develop ideas and projects such as ring making, silver jewellery and stone setting gems. We provide concept based jewellery classes to the absolute beginner, the aspiring maker and to the professional jeweller.

The Bench is a safe working and learning environment, complete with a wide inventory of tools and equipment, such as Vaniman polishing extraction, enamelling kiln, fume cabinets, micromotors, soldering torches, rolling mill, tumbler, ultrasonic and more.

Location

The Bench acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of our land – Australia. The Bench acknowledges the Gadigal of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of this place we now call Sydney.

The Bench is located at the exquisite historic site, Joynton Avenue Creative Centre in Green Square, and is easily accessed by bus, train (Green Square Station), ride or walk.

The Bench cultivates inclusive, creative and accessible spaces for everyone to have the opportunity to feel safe and welcomed.

The building has full wheelchair accessibility, ramp access from street and park entrances, internal lift for access to upper levels and a unisex accessible toilet on each level.

THE BENCH, Joynton Avenue Creative Centre
3A Joynton Ave, Zetland NSW 2017

Additional notes

All the tools you need for the course will be available at the venue; including an apron.

For health and safety reasons, please bring along with you the following

Hair tie: If you have long hair, please bring along something to tie it back with
Closed in shoes: We will be working with hot, sharp and heavy tools, so please wear shoes, which will protect your feet. Avoid wearing loose flowing garments.
Sketch book/note book/ pen and/or pencil: Please bring along a notebook for your own notes and design ideas. Notes will be provided to complement the techniques you will be learning but you may wish to make your own notes.
Remember: If you use glasses for reading and /or close up work please remember to bring them along.

Book your course

Questions?

Email us at: jewellery@thebench.sydney
or call us on: 0406 794 112