Southampton - A touch of 24K Gold workshop

This introductory silver clay workshop is all about using silver clay to create beautiful, unique pieces of jewellery.

Silver clay comes in a clay like form and is made up of recycled fine silver powder, an organic binder and water. It can be moulded and shaped like clay before being fired.  The binder then burns away and your piece is transformed into a piece of fine silver jewellery. (Fine silver is composed of 99.9% pure silver, and it is a bit more expensive and better quality than sterling silver).

You will also be using a technique called Keum Boo to create gold highlights on your pieces.  This is an ancient Korean gilding technique used to apply thin sheets of gold to silver, to make silver-gilt.

Silver clay offers a great introduction to silver jewellery making because you don't need to purchase lots of tools or equipment and it can easily be done on your kitchen table.

This is a small and relaxed class with no more than 5 students. At the end of the day we will celebrate with a glass of bubbly while. You’ll leave with a unique piece that you will have hand made and could make the perfect present or you can keep it for yourself.

What your will learn;

- The design processs

- Rolling and shaping and cutting

- Texturing techniques

- Filing

- Sanding

- Firing

-cutting the gold foil

- heating the clay to bond the gold foil to your piece

- Attaching jump rings for a pendant or findings for earrings

- Polishing and finishing

- celebrate at the end with a glass of bubbly

What is included;

- 7g of silver clay (enough to make one or two pieces of jewellery)

- enough 24K keum boo gold foil to add highlights to your piece.

- Findings for your pieces that you make (ie jump rings, earring posts, wire for drop earrings)

- Sterling silver chain or earrings wires

- All equipment needed in my studio to make your jewellery pieces

- An instruction sheet (which you can take home)

- As much tea and coffee as you can drink

- Tissue paper and pillow box for wrapping up each of the pieces you make

- A glass of bubbly or non alcoholic fizz to celebrate the day

What you need to bring;

- A packed lunch and any extra drinks

- An apron if you have one

- Closed toe shoes

- Hairband (to tie hair back while firing)

There will be a break for lunch where you are welcome to eat your picnic in my studio, garden, decking or nearby Riverside park.  There are also several cafe's and shops just a 5-10 minute walk away.

There is parking on Oaktree Road (if it gets busy there is also a car park close by on Manor Farm Road (near the junction of Dimond Road and next to Riverside Park).