Courses
Jewellery Making and Gemstone Setting Courses in Queensland
The jewellery making and gem setting courses outlined below have varying start dates and course duration lengths. Qualified goldsmiths with trade experience conduct all jewellery design and gem setting courses in a well-equipped and air-conditioned workshop/studio. Current classes offered:
- The Beginners Course
- The Construction Course
- The Vocational Course
- Advanced Certificate Course (ACE)
- Master Classes
The Beginners Course
No previous experience is required.
The Beginners Course consists of 3 sections.
- Intro 1 (4 x 3 hour lessons)
- Intro 2 (4 x 3 hour lessons)
- Intro 3 (4 x 3 hour lessons)
This part-time course teaches the student the basic techniques in jewellery making. Techniques covered include:
- Basic ring making
- Chain making
- Design with construction techniques
- Metal preparation
- Bending
- Wire rolling and drawing
- Link forming
- Stippling
- Soldering
- Finishing
- Polishing
- The beginnings of gemstone setting
After completing the beginners course, students can then decide which way they would like to move forward – either by enrolling in a more structured, faster track - The Vocational Course (a certificate is attained on completion) or by choosing a self-paced, more relaxed approach - The Construction Course.
The Construction Course
Prerequisites: The Beginners Course or equivalent.
At The Goldsmiths School, we are aware that each person has an individual reason to learn silversmithing and goldsmithing, be it a small studio designer, a model builder, a hobbyist, an artist, or someone who wishes to express themselves in a creative way. The Construction Course is an open ended, self-paced, project based system of learning that covers the technical and design skills of gold and silversmithing. The course guides the student from the Beginners Course into a step-by-step system of skills acquisition. Techniques taught in the course become more advanced and involved, as the student progresses. Techniques covered include:
- Jewellery design
- Soldering
- Chain making
- Forging
- Doming
- Repoussé
- Gemstone setting
Plus all other aspects of practical jewellery making.
Course structure:
This course is structured in continuous four lessons x 3 hour modules, which the student may commence at any time. Each student is treated individually within a class size of approximately 12 people, and two teachers, in an air-conditioned well equipped studio/workshop. The school runs according to the academic year.
The Vocational Course
Pre-requisites: 20 weeks, this includes the Beginners Course, or equivalent, such as a practical assessment.
This certificate course, consisting of one-year part-time study in gold and silversmithing, is a special program designed as a compact introduction into the jewellery trade. We aim to bring students to the level of a second year apprentice after completion of this course. The course aims to produce multi-skilled graduates who have demonstrated competency in all aspects of jewellery construction and design and who adhere to sound workshop practices. We also aim to have graduate students from this course absorbed into the jewellery industry or independently working in their own studio/workshop.
Course Structure:
The Vocational Course is a 38-week competency based program, devised to establish basic techniques and tool handling skills, using a building block system of skills acquisition. Assessment criteria, including a time based competency component are set for all practical work. The skills taught are the combination of traditional techniques taught in workshops worldwide and are also accumulated personal techniques of the school’s principals and teachers.
Course Curriculum:
The student undertakes 2 lessons per week, at 3 hours for practical work and is also required to attend the selected Master Classes, which take place on some weekends. These include:
- Jewellery design
- Gemstone setting
- Gemmology
- Technical drawing
- Tool making
- Lost wax casting
- Special project weekend
Please ask for the Masterclass planner for the dates, times and costs of the weekend workshops.
Advanced Certificate (ACE)
Pre-requisites: The Vocational Course or equivalent. The student must have a sound knowledge of jewellery making.
The advanced certificate course aims at refining techniques and takes the student onto advanced techniques practiced by jewellers. Course Curriculum Areas covered are:
- Advanced gemsetting techniques
- Advanced design, drawing and technical drawing
- Goldsmithing and silversmithing
- Master classes in specialised subjects
- Metal preparation
- Metal finishes
- Patinations
Master Classes
Master Classes assume that the student is well versed in the basic techniques of jewellery making, which include, soldering, bending filing, forming, and general workshop procedures. Master Classes are held in the following disciplines.
- Granulation: An ancient technique of diffusing tiny balls of silver or gold onto sheet to create markings, and patterns
- Finishing and Patination Techniques: Metal coloration, textures and treatment
- Titanium: Management and colouration of titanium that includes controlled electrolytic colour forming
- Mokume Gane: An ancient method of coloured metal layering using metal diffusion. This also includes exploration of techniques that reveal this interesting layering technique
- Gemstone Setting: The technique of making settings and setting the gemstones into claw, bezel(rub over) grain, channel and pave setting, using precious metals
- Jewellery Design: A comprehensive approach to drawing techniques such as perspective shading and 3 dimensional objects with the aim to create interesting, original and workable artistic drawings of jewellery
- Technical drawing: A short course teaching the basics of technical drawing, suitable for the jewellery industry
- Tool making: Sometimes it is required that the jeweller make his own tools and also repair tools. This requires knowledge of how to work with tool steel. This course covers the basic principles of tool making
- Pearl Stringing: Suitable for the beginner, the student learns the delicate art of stringing pearls (and other materials) including knotting and clasp attachments
Specialised Weekend Workshops and Master Classes
- Gold and silversmithing
- Jewellery construction and practical work
- Jewellery design
- Technical drawing
- Artistic drawing
- Enamelling
- Filigree
- Wire making, chain making
- Gemmology
- Gemstone setting, (bezel, pave, claw, grain, channel, rub over)
- Colorit design
- Lost wax casting
- Mokume gane
- Patinations and finishes
- Pearl stringing, and bead stringing
- Repoussé, embossing
- Theory of goldsmithing and metallurgy
- Titanium
- Tool making
