Jewellery Making Courses
Learn to make jewellery with goldsmith Bec de Podolinsky.
Jewellery making workshops and courses are held at Pod Studio just outside Kyneton - a one hour drive north of Melbourne along the Calder Freeway.
Previous experience isn't necessary and these fun jewellery classes are suitable for beginners and students with some experience. You'll have the chance to design your own piece of jewellery and in most classes, everyone will be making something different.
Our students come from all over Australia and internationally including the UK, Ireland, Canada, USA, Japan and New Zealand.
You can see what past students have made on the Pod Jewellery Pinterest Board.
Read what our customers have to say about our jewellery courses.
10 things we do differently
- Jewellery workshops take one day (or two half days).
- We provide all tools, equipment and materials (including sterling silver).
- Work with sterling silver (not copper) or for an extra fee, gold or platinum.
- Design your own jewellery and make a piece that suits your taste.
- Full-day worskhops include lunch. All workshops include morning / afternoon tea.
- Only pay a $100 deposit when booking. Pay the balance one week before the workshop.
- Pay using afterpay, zipPay, Visa, MasterCard, Amex, PayPal and direct bank deposit.
- Get a 10% discount on selected local accommodation when completing a workshop.
- Our jewellery classes are small with a maximum of six students, so you'll receive lots of help.
- We also give you:
- making instructions, so you can make more pieces when you get home.
- a list of suppliers, so you know where to buy precious metals and have things cast.
- a list of tools used during the workshop. Tool kits are available for purchase from Pod Studio or online here.
We offer the following Jewellery Making Workshops:
- Silver ring making (includes lunch)
- Silver earring/pendant making
- Lost wax silver ring
- Silver bangle making (includes lunch)
- Cuttlefish casting (includes lunch)
- Sand casting (includes lunch)
- Stone setting - bezel set ring making (includes lunch)
- Facetted stone setting in wax (includes lunch)
- Cast set stones in wax (includes lunch)
Private tuition and private group jewellery making classes are also available. Please email your enquiry here.
Scroll down for more details about each workshop and upcoming dates. A minimum of two students are required for a workshop to run.
Pod Studio is located outside Kyneton, so we head into town to eat lunch at one of our amazing local cafés. Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options are available. Lunch is included in the workshop fee for full day workshops.
Code Red Days
Code Red conditions are the worst conditions for a bush or grassfire. The Country Fire Authority advises Victorians that in response to bushfire threat on a Code Red day, leaving Designated Bushfire Prone Areas the night before or early in the morning is the safest option.
As Pod Studio is located in a bushfire prone area, all workshops scheduled on days declared as Code Red will be postponed and the studio will not be open. These workshops will be rescheduled for a later date. Where possible, workshops will be cancelled the day before or as soon as a Code Red day has been announced. You will be contacted by phone at least one day prior if your workshop is being postponed due to to a Code Red Day.
SILVER RING WORKSHOP $350 (Full day workshop, includes lunch)
Sunday 15 March 2020 (Fully booked)
Saturday 4 April 2020 (2 spaces available)
Saturday 18 April 2020 (5 spaces available)
Saturday 16 May 2020
Saturday 13 June 2020
Create your own made-to-measure sterling silver ring. You will have lots of flexibility to make a ring band that suits your finger and can finish it with a textured, brushed, polished, oxidised or fine silver finish. This workshop is limited to six students. You can choose to make your ring from 9ct or 18ct yellow, white or rose gold for an additional fee.
Here's what past students had to say about this workshop.
"A fantastic introduction to the art of silver ring making. Kyneton is a gorgeous town and Bec from Pod is an absolute gem." Cassandra from Ballarat.
"We had a fantastic day, Highly recommend the experience." Melissa from Gordon.
"Had an amazing day making my ring. Thank you so much Rebecca! Love what I have made, definitely going to book another class with you." Roxanne from Melbourne.
"We had a great day. The class was awesome. Kyneton was beautiful and I hope we can do another class one day! I love that my ring is perfect for me! You helped us create something uniquely ours. Thanks Bec!" Sue from Castlemaine.
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for an incredible silver ring making workshop. It was so informative and inspirational. Can't wait to make some more pieces. Your knowledge and expertise greatly appreciated." Marta from Melbourne.
“I gave my husband John a silver ring making course for Christmas. He had a great time refreshing his silver making skills. Thanks for being so helpful and lovely Bec! He was most impressed with the setting and training set up you have. I now have a lovely new silver ring 😀Many thanks.” Lyn from New Gisborne.
"I absolutely loved participating in this course. The day was very well organised and managed. Bec clearly explained, demonstrated and supported throughout the process.
I was well-informed and was able to apply the skills to make my ring independently but with assistance whenever required. I will be signing up for other workshops in the future and thoroughly recommend this day to anyone with an interest. Thanks for a great day Bec!" Lisa-Jayne from Yarraville.
LOST WAX SILVER RING WORKSHOP $350 (2 half days in the pm)
1:30-5:30pm Saturday 14 and 21 March 2020
1:30-5:30pm Sunday 5 and 19 April 2020 (4 spaces available)
1:30-5:30pm Sunday 17 and 24 May 2020
1:30-5:30pm Sunday 14 and 21 June 2020 (4 spaces available)
Spend half a day learning to carve a ring from wax. The ring is then taken to Melbourne to be cast in either sterling silver, or for an extra fee gold or platinum. One week later, we will gather again for half a day to finish making your sterling silver ring.
Working with wax is really relaxing, students often describe it as therapeutic. Many people who have completed this workshop have continued making jewellery from wax as a hobby. A number of people have started their own small businesses making and selling their own jewellery.
Once you have the knowledge, lost wax carving is something you can continue from home without needing to purchase a lot of expensive tools after the workshop. You can apply the skills you learn in this workshop to carve brooches, earrings and pendants. You also receive making instructions and all the information you will need to get your pieces cast. You can also purchase Lost Wax tool kit, which has everything you need to start making pieces as soon as you get home.
For some inspiration on the types of pieces you can make using the lost wax process, check out the Pod Jewellery Pinterest board on Lost Wax Making.
The Silver Earring Making Workshop is held in the morning before the Lost Wax Ring Making Workshop, you may want to attend both workshops. Read more about Silver Earring workshop here.
This workshop is a pre-requisite for our setting classes; Facetted Stone Setting in Wax and Cast Set Stones in Wax.
If you're unable to make the second half of the Lost Wax Silver Ring Workshop on the date listed, get in touch to arrange joining the second half of the workshop at a later date.
Here's what past students had to say about this workshop.
"I had a wonderful day learning new skills and meeting people with shared interests. Bec is a wonderful, knowledgeable teacher and makes the class even more enjoyable. I’ve certainly tried other teachers over the years and often have not really enjoyed the class. Bec is brilliant and I’m now a repeat attender 😂👍👍 Can’t wait to try cabochon and stone setting in the feature but in the meantime I am honing my skills as a wax carver - such fun and it only takes one class to start you off!!!! Have a go!!!!!" Lisa from Bendigo.
"I really enjoyed the lost wax workshop and would recommend it for anyone wanting to make something unique! You don't need any crazy sculpting skills, just some imagination for an interesting design. Bec is very knowledgeable, helpful and encouraging, making the process easier than I expected and fun...thanks Bec!" Jacqui from Macedon.
"It was a fabulous workshop and Bec was very inspiring. I am about to buy some basic tools so I can continue at home. Bec is a lovely, warm, relatable person. I was very pleased to receive a voucher after booking and will be doing more workshops out there for sure. The space is lovely and relaxed. The group is intimate and Bec had time for everyone. Highly recommend this workshop." Janine from Hepburn.
"What a wonderful class! Bec was lovely and with a small class size there was lots of direction and support. The class exceeded my expectations and I made something I never thought I could make. No artistic talent or experience needed- can't recommend highly enough. Thanks Bec, look forward to doing another workshop soon!" Candice from Barfold.
"Loved it .. so inspiring ..have already received an order of different wax tubes to make more rings along with some tools... Bec's instruction was so clear and easy to understand, giving the novice inspiration to keep going. Her after course back up is endless. Thanks Bec for a thoroughably enjoyable time." Kay from Myrniong.
"Bec as an artist is extremely talented at her craft. This passion that she has for her jewellery design is tranferred to her teaching. I thoroughly enjoyed the lost wax ring carving workshop due to not only that passion that Bec brings to her teaching but also her abilty to transfer her knowledge to her students in a way that is encouraging and rewarding to the participant. A wonderfull experience I will be signing up for future workshops that Bec holds. Thank you." Jane from Ballarat.
HALF DAY SILVER EARRING/PENDANT WORKSHOP - $260 (4 hours in the am)
9am-1pm Saturday 14 March 2020 (3 spaces available)
9am-1pm Sunday 5 April 2020
9am-1pm Sunday 17 May 2020 (5 spaces available)
9am-1pm Sunday 14 June 2020
Spend half a day designing and making a pair of sterling silver drop or stud earrings, or a pendant to take home and wear. Learn to saw shapes, texture surfaces, emboss patterns using leaves, lace, fabric, wire onion bags, mesh, feathers, leather or you can use one of our selection of patterned rolling plates. You'll also learn to make earring hooks, posts or a pendant bail, along with other skills you can use to make your own creations at home.
At the end of this fun class, you’ll take home your pair of handmade one-of-a-kind sterling silver earrings or a pendant.
You can see the kinds patterns you can emboss using a rolling mill on the Pod Jewellery Rolling Mill Embossed Jewellery Pinterest board.
The Lost Wax Silver Ring Workshop is held in the afternoon following the Silver Ring Workshop, you may want to attend both workshops. Read more about Lost Wax Silver Ring Workshop.
Here's what past students had to say about this workshop.
"I had the best day today, met some lovely ladies and made myself some beautiful earrings. (Thanks to my thoughtful husband and his amazing gift)
And thank you Bec @ Pod Jewellery for being a wonderful Teacher and having such an amazing class." Therese from Bendigo.
"This is a fantastic course. Bec is a wonderful teacher and incredibly generous in sharing her skills and knowledge. My friend and I came away with earrings we love and learnt lots of new skills in the process. I was amazed with what we managed to produce with no prior experience and in just one morning of tuition. Thanks Bec for such a great day." Rebecca from Kyneton.
"Fantastic, thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and would recommend to all :)" Zoe from New Gisborne.
"Thanks again for a great class Bec. I love my earrings and have had lots of compliments. The girls had lots of fun too. It was lovely to meet you and I'm already recommending you to others. Cheers." Caroline from Melbourne.
FACETTED STONE SETTING IN WAX $490 (Two days, includes lunch on the first day) - NEW WORKSHOP
9:30am-4:30pm Saturday 22 and 29 (1-5pm) February 2020 (3 spaces available)
New to our range of stone setting courses is Facetted Stone Setting in Wax. In this workshop, you'll carve a ring, learn to set create a setting, and set a facetted gemstone in a flush (gypsy) style of setting.
On the first half day you work with wax to carve your ring and create your setting. The wax rings are then taken to Melbourne to be cast in silver (included in the course cost) or gold or platinum (at an additional cost). We gather again for half a day one week later to set the gemstone into the ring and clean the rings up.
Please note: this is an intermediate wax setting class, you must have completed the Lost Wax Silver Ring Workshop or have experience carving wax.
CAST SET STONES IN WAX WORKSHOP - $490 (1.5 days, includes lunch on the first day) - NEW WORKSHOP
This intermediate stone setting course is a follow-on from our Lost Wax Silver Ring Workshop. In this class, you'll learn to set stones into wax, which will then be cast into place. This method is setting is much more organic than setting stones directly into the metal. The results are not perfect and some stones may be covered with metal during the casting process. It's exciting to see how a piece has turn out, as nothing is guaranteed with this style of setting. The good news is that this type of setting requires less tools than traditional setting directly into the metal.
On the first half day you work with wax to carve your ring and set your stones into the wax. The wax rings are then taken to Melbourne to be cast in silver (included in the course cost) or gold or platinum (at an additional cost). We gather again for half a day one week later so you can clean and polish the ring.
STONE SETTING WORKSHOP $490 (One and a half days, includes lunch on the full day)
Saturday 21 (am) and Sunday 22 March 2020 (2 spaces available)
Learn to create a made-to-measure sterling silver ring band and bezel set a cabochon stone in this stone setting course. We work with sterling silver in the workshop or for an additional fee you can make your ring from gold. You learn to make the entire piece, including the ring band, which will fit your finger perfectly, so you will be able to wear your ring home after the workshop.
Please note: this gemstone setting class is of an intermediate level, you must have completed the Silver Ring Workshop and have some knowledge of soldering.
Here's what past students had to say about this workshop:
"The bezel setting workshop was fantastic. A great range of stones to choose from, along with Bec’s terrific teaching methods and really useful notes, made for a very successful outcome. The workshop is fabulously equipped and the low student-teacher ratio meant lots of attention and tailored help from Bec, who is a highly skilled artisan. I learnt new skills and further developed existing ones. I highly recommend this workshop." Bec from Kyneton.
SAND (DELFT CLAY) CASTING WORKSHOP $390 (Full day workshop, includes lunch)
Sunday 1 March 2020 (1 space available)
Learn to cast pieces of jewellery and small sculptures in sand (delft clay). Casting is great fun and has been used to make jewellery for thousands of years.
You can see some pieces that can be cast using this method on my Pod Jewellery Sand Casting Pinterest board.
In this one day workshop, you will learn how to create a clay mould, so you can successfully cast your own piece. We then clean and finish your piece so it's ready to wear. We work with sterling silver in this workshop, which is included in the fee. You can also bring your own gold jewellery to melt down and cast into a new piece of jewellery. Gold jewellery must be yellow or rose gold. Due to the difficulty in casting, we do not cast white gold.
This method can also be used to cast almost any hard object including shells, sticks, acorns, seeds, pottery, existing pieces of jewellery, nuts, keys and other metal objects, teeth, bone, gum nuts and so much more. You can bring along something you would like to cast in silver, or use one of the many objects already available in the studio.
SILVER BANGLE WORKSHOP - (Full day workshop includes lunch) - $390
Sunday 15 March 2020 (Fully booked)
Saturday 4 April 2020 (2 spaces available)
Saturday 18 April 2020 (5 spaces available)
Saturday 16 May 2020
Saturday 13 June 2020
Create your own made-to-measure sterling silver bangle. This is the perfect workshop for those who find it difficult to find a bangle that fits their wrist.
Here's what past students had to say about this workshop:
"Great day spent at the Bangle making workshop, Bec is terrific in passing on her knowledge and made the day so enjoyable, very satisfying creating a lovely silver bangle for myself and cant wait to return and learn more from the talented Bec." Joy from Huntingdale.
SILVER JEWELLERY CUTTLEFISH CASTING WORKSHOP - (Full day workshop includes lunch) - $390
Saturday 28 March 2020 (3 spaces available)
Sunday 31 May 2020
In this full day workshop, you will learn to carve cuttlefish bone and how to set up your cuttlefish bone, so it can successfully cast your design. We work with sterling silver in this workshop, which is included in the fee. You can also bring your own gold jewellery to melt down and cast into a new piece of jewellery.
You can see some of the amazing pieces that can be cast using cuttlefish bone and the lovely pattern that's applied to the piece when it's cast on my Pinterest board.
We're throwing open the doors of Pod Studio and giving you the opportunity to work on your own projects. You will have access to all our tools, equipment and silver solder. Sterling silver sheet, gold and silver wire is available for purchase.
Please note: For safety reasons, you will not be able to melt metal and create ingots in tutored access sessions. This can only be done in private wedding ring making workshops and during private tutoring sessions, as you must be properly supervised throughout this process.
Tutored access is only available to Pod Jewellery students. You must have completed a Pod Jewellery workshop prior to attending a Tutored Access Session.
Tutored access is $40 per hour and bookings are a three hour minimum.
To register your interest email bec@podjewellery.com.au
PRIVATE JEWELLERY LESSONS - $110 per hour (3 hour minimum)
Private jewellery making lessons are a great way to learn techniques such as soldering or how to make specific pieces of jewellery. Private lessons include the use of tools and some consumables such as sterling silver solder. All metal including sterling silver is an additional fee based on weight. This is payable on the day. You are also welcome to bring along your own metal for the workshop.
COUPLES WEDDING RING MAKING PRIVATE WORKSHOP
Handcraft your wedding rings in these private couples workshops.
There are three types of private wedding ring workshops for couples:
Forged Wedding Band in a Day Workshop - $950 per couple.
Carved & Cast Wedding Ring Workshop - $950 per couple.
Combination Forged and Cast Wedding Ring Workshop - $950 per couple.
Bring Your Own Gold Wedding Ring Workshop - $1250 per couple
Workshops are available seven-days-a-week and need to be booked at least four weeks in advance.
Our Jewellery Making Hens Parties can be held at various venues across central Victoria. You and your hens will have a great morning or afternoon making sterling silver jewellery to take away and wear.
To find out more, please email.
JEWELLERY WORKSHOP GIFT CERTIFICATES
Pod Gift Certificates are the perfect present for a friend or loved one. They can be used for a Jewellery Making workshop, to purchase jewellery tools or to buy jewellery from the Pod Jewellery collection. Pod Gift Certificates are beautifully designed and arrive gift-wrapped and ready to give.
Places are limited to six students in all jewellery workshops and jewellery making courses. A $100 deposit is payable on all workshops and courses. If you cancel less than four weeks prior to the start date of the workshop, your $100 deposit will not be refunded.
If you're unable to attend, you can transfer your workshop booking to another person (for the same workshop dates only). If the workshop does not run and is cancelled by us, you will receive a full refund or can choose be transferred to another workshop. Gift certificates are not refundable. We do not offer fee reductions, refunds or make-up classes to students who miss classes.
There are no refunds for students cancelling within seven days (168 hours) of the start of any jewellery making courses or workshops.
