Jewelry Making Classes
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Goldsmithing or Jewelry classes?
Dec 2010
I would like to learn how to make jewelry using gold - any thoughts about where I
might find that in Oakland / Berkeley / SF area?
Anon.
try studio one in oakland. both karen erhart (sp?) and anthony stillman have
experience with gold. if you are a beginner, start with silver; it is more
forgiving. karen helped me do a nice piece in gold as an individual project in
her advanced class years ago, but i had many years of experience already.
anon
The Crucible in Oakland has a lot of metal casting and jewelry-making classes, including gold:
http://www.thecrucible.org/
local mom
New mom wants to design a necklace
March 2009
I am a new mother looking to take a class in jewlery making, specifically how to
design and make a necklace. I finally feel like I have the time to break away from
my daughter and persue some of my interest. I would love to do a one day workshop
preferably in Berkeley on the weekend. Does anyone know of any?
Celeste
here is just what you are looking for, April 25, in North Berkeley. A jewelery
design class for beginners or intermediate level- make a fabulous necklace and
matching earrings and leave with the tools and ability to make more. The 2
teachers are incredible artists and jewelery designers, Remi Rubel and Deb
Durant. Here is contact info. and they can send or email you more information.
debdurant [at] gmail.com (debdurant[at]gmail[dot]com)
Or call 415.235.1551
chris z
You are in luck -- there are several great places in the area where you can
take a whole variety of classes in jewelry making. In Berkeley, there's
Baubles and Beads on Shattuck; in Alameda there's Bead Inspirations on Park.
Both have websites listing their classes (see below) with dates and examples
of what is made. Check out http://www.baublesandbeads.com/
http://www.beadinspirations.com/ There are other places too, but these have
the widest variety of classes. Both also have ''Bead nights'' where you can
bring materials and just work with others who like to do this.
Bead nut!
The Crucible in Oakland does great jewelry classes. I've only done their 10
week series, but I know they do workshops as well. The website is
http://www.thecrucible.org/, the facility is located near the West Oakland
BART station.
Carrie
I'm not sure if they have any one-day classes currently, but Studio One on
45th St. in Oakland often offers a variety of jewelry-making classes. You
might also try Piedmont Adult School.
Linda
i teach jewelry making weekend workshops at the Richmond Art Center.
i focus on textile techniques for jewelry makers & metal smiths.
my current class is listed under Textile Department workshops, we will be
making our own wet felt beads & learn how to design & make a jewelry piece.
basic skills are always covered in my wrkshps & i welcome beginners cintra
You don't say what kind of jewelry you're interested in making, but
regardless, you should check out Baubles and Beads in Berkeley (right near the
Virginia Bakery on Shattuck). They also have a San Rafael location.
On their website, they list many classes, from bead stringing and knotting to
metal working to clay. The employees are incredibly helpful. I do bead work
(very amateur stuff for me only) and I have gone in with questions or pictures
of pieces I want to make and they have really helped me out.
Here is the web site, which has all the classes:
http://www.baublesandbeads.com
Enameling class for teen
Feb 2008
My teenage daugther did enameling at a very popular east coast ''arts'' summer camp. She really wants to take a course in this during the school year. I called CCA and you have to be 18 years to enroll. Does anyone know of any enameling courses for teens in the East Bay? Many thanks. mom of an artist
The Crucible in Oakland has enameling classes as well as many other wonderful art classes. And it's possible that the Richmond Art Center has enameling classes. Both are great places to learn. Sydney
Adult jewelry-making class
May 2007
Does anyone have recomendations for adult jewelry-making classes in the East Bay? Thank you!
Look into the Crucible in Oakland (www.thecrucible.org), near the West Oakland BART Station. I've taken two silversmithing classes there, and they're great. Their focus is industrial arts (including welding, casing, torch-cutting, pottery, glass-work, etc.). The 10-week classes aren't cheap but well worth it. Carrie
The Richmond Art Center has a very large selection of beginning through advanced jewelry classes for adults. You can learn all the basics like sawing, soldering, forming & finishing and more. You can also take classes that focus on more specific techniques like metalsmithing, stone setting & lapidary, casting and enamelling. This spring session has already started, so you will have to wait until this summer or fall to sign up for classes. There are a couple of workshops this month that may still have space: ''Knitted Wired Jewelry'' and '' A Primer on Enameling: 3-D forms''.
The Richmond Art Center is a great place that deserves more attention and support. I've taken drawing and painting classes there. They also offer classes in ceramics, textiles and screen printing. And they have lots of classes for kids too. There is a 6,000 sq foot gallery space with on-going art exhibitions featuring emerging and mid-career Bay Area artists. http://www.therichmondartcenter.org/ It's a great place! I highly recommend checking it out! Laurey
There are LOTS of great jewelry-making classes -- depends on which kinds you would like. For simple stringing classes, and for some great stuff in metalworking, wireworking, and precious metal clay, try Baubles & Beads on Shattuck Ave. For more metalworking, and for working with glass and stuff like enameling, try the Crucible (7th street in Oakland). There's also a nice beadworking store with good classes in San Ramon (The Place to Bead). ASUC studio also has a few classes. Have lots and lots of fun! Karen
Have you tried Studio One in Oakland? They have low-cost, fun classes for adults, teens, and children. It's a little hard to find on the web, they are run by the City of Oakland Parks and Rec. I have taken several classes there and they are taught by professional teachers/artists. anon
Baubles and Beads (stores in Berkeley and San Rafael) offer a moving feast of jewelry making classes. They're not inexpensive, but you do get a discount on purchases made around the time of the class and they are very gracious about providing advice and commentary after the class is done. I've found the in-house instructors to be uniformly excellent, and the classroom is well-lit and pleasant.
More advanced classes require the completion of pre-requisites, like Basic Stringing or Basic Wire although they will sometimes accept a showing of work as proof that you don't need the basic class. Specialty classes are offered by guest instructors; most of these have been good but I've had occasional disappointments.
If you're looking to leap into the deep end and want to learn traditional jewelry metalsmithing, there's a place called Perlz up in Hopland California that offers individual classes and a Metalsmithing Summer Camp. I haven't been, but I did take a class at B from their house instructor Joe Silvera and he's excellent. Addicted in Berkeley