From absolute to beginners to experienced jewelry makers, ANY level student can take these courses. This series involves foundational learning, so each week builds on the previous week's lessons. The full 6-week immersion will prepare you for the Argentium Instructor certification and give you a complete overview of this material and the skills you need to create amazing work! Enroll now to save your bench as the classes are limited to 5 students. 

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Get a strong foundation of skills that can be applied to all precious metals used in the craft.

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Techniques and projects covered in the six weeks:

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• Intricate pierced work and sawing

• Ring making

• Granulation + Texturing

• Surface Embellishments

• Finishing work

• Working in gold (18k or 22k)

• Torch fire enameling

• Custom mechanisms, ear wires and posts

• Fusing and soldering

• Flush mounting stones- three different methods

• Fabricating and setting bezels for a variety of stone shapes

• Jump rings 

• Filigree and open wire work  

• Custom clasps and chain making 

• Sizing ring shanks 

• Hollow beads 

• Hollow rings

• Composition, layout and design

Making rings with Argentium is simple and easy. Learn how to fuse, solder, twist wire, texture and fuse granulation for surface decorations. Also learn to resize your rings up/down.

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Students will have the opportunity to finish six different rings. 

Skills + Techniques Covered:

SAWING

FUSING AND SOLDERING

FLARING RINGS

JUMP RINGS

WIRE WORKING

TEXTURING

GRANULATION

SURFACE EMBELISHMENTS

SIZING AND RE-SIZING RINGS

FINISHING TECHNIQUES

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Projects:

2mm square soldered ring

Fused 2mm stack ring

Twisted wire ring

Jump ring band ring

Thick band hammer texture

Flared band with spinner

You will learn detailed saw piercing, roller printing, fusing surface decoration, making ear-wires, and patinas on metals. Learning to flush mount stones will give you the skills to take your projects to a higher level of ornamentation. Three different ways of flush mounting will be covered.

Skills + Techniques Covered:

INTRICATE PIERCED WORK AND SAWING

TEXTURING

FINISHING WORK

FUSING AND SOLDERING

FLUSH MOUNTING STONES

JUMP RINGS

WIRE WORK

CUSTOM MADE BALE

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Projects:

Sawing squares in lines

Sawing waves

Fusing layers to flush mount from front and from behind

Sawing round disc, fusing & flush mounting 

Flush mounting on copper for practice 

Earrings 

Setting over 40 stones

Making four pairs of earrings, you will learn to fuse jump-rings and bezels, make granules, slump sheet over fused wires, set cabochon stones on granulated earrings, make filigree wire for filigree earrings with open wire-work, make mechanisms and twisted wire earrings with posts.  

Skills + Techniques Covered:

SAWING 

FUSING

MAKING JUMP RINGS 

BEZELS

MAKING GRANULES

SETTING CABOCHONS 

CREATING MATCHED PAIRS 

OPEN WIRE WORK

MECHANISMS 

EAR POSTS

FINISHING TECHNIQUES 

Project Details:

Slumped leaf shape Shepherds hook

Twisted square wire hoop w/post 

Earrings - granulated & fused w/thin bezel

Earring mechanisms

Open wire work with working mechanism

The right components can make or break a showpiece. Learning how to make your own simple clasps and chain is an important step in designing and creating original work. 

Skills + Techniques Covered:

FUSING AND SOLDERING

PRODUCTION TIPS

TOGGLE AND CHAIN, TWO BOX CLASPS, INTERLOCKING JUMPRINGS

CHAIN MAKING MADE EASY

COMPOSITION AND DESIGN

Project Details/Materials:

Chain bracelet + toggle clasp

Interlocking jump rings

Oval Box Clasp

Box clasp

Learn how to fabricate bezels and four different varieties of ring shanks. Learn how to make a split shank ring with a large oval bezel, a textured ring with a bezel and a granulated ring with a faceted stone. Create your own ring patterns based on the ring size you desire and learn layout techniques for fused and granulated decoration. This class will give you confidence and develop your abilities to create bezels to fit onto ring shanks. Upon completion of the projects you will have four stunningly beautiful rings. 

Skills + Techniques covered:

SAWING 

FUSING AND SOLDERING

FORMING RING SHANKS

SETTING OVAL & ROUND FACETED STONES 

GRANULATION

DESIGNING RING PATTERNS 

SURFACE EMBELLISHMENTS & TEXTURING
 

Projects:

Three wire ring w/bezel oval cab

Oval bezel on textured shank

Granulated ring - faceted stone

Gallery wire w/rectangle onyx cab

Two beads and two rings will be taught, each involving different types of fabrication skills. Making a bead, you will learn to use dapping tools, form wires to fit a curved surface and patterning for proper alignment for a more “finished” design. Projects will feature your individual pattern layout, enhancing your surface fusing and embellishment skills. 

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Skills + Techniques covered:

SAWING

DAPPING AND DOMING

FABRICATING

WIRE FORMING

PATTERNING

SURFACE EMBELLISHMENTS

FUSING 3 DIMENSIONAL 

OVAL AND ROUND HOLLOW FORMS 

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Projects:

1/2 round hollow band

Hollow ring

Lentil bead

Oval hollow bead