Learn ways to identify coloured gemstones. Combine gemmology and stone setting: put your new knowledge straight into practice with an afternoon workshop session to make a stone-set piece of jewellery.
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Do you know your Emeralds from your Agates? Can you tell the difference between Ruby and Pink Tourmaline? How many colours do Sapphires come in? Did you know you can identify a Diamond from a Cubic Zirconium with only a pen to aid you? Are you ready to learn some gemmology and stone setting techniques?
We proudly present our Gemmilicious series of one-day workshops in gemmology and stone setting. Learn about your favourite stones, then learn how to set one in a tension ring and wear it home.
On each course you’ll have an opportunity to use a range of professional gemstone identification equipment, and we’ll also introduce you to some trade tricks and lo-tech methods to examine and identify a wide selection of stones in hues from crystal-white to clear pastels, greens, blues to purple shades and pink to reds, orange and brown..
We want you to make use of this knowledge, so each workshop begins with a morning gemmology session followed by an afternoon of practical workshop activity. Make a sterling silver tension set ring with your favourite stone, or when we study pearls, learn the traditional knotting technique with silk to make your own necklace.
Who are these workshops for?
We invite anyone with an interest in gemstones to join our course. Intended as an introduction to gemmology, we provide you with a foundation knowledge of the characteristics of a range of popular gemstones. We explore techniques to identify them, and also how to care for them (and what not to do with them!). We also discuss how to design jewellery for particular gemstones and these courses are especially useful for jewellers wanting to incorporate them into their work.
How will these workshops help you?
When it comes to stone setting, it’s crucial to know a little bit about the kind of gemstone you are working with. Gemstone characteristics, like hardness, brittleness, heat resistance, porosity and cleavage are all important qualities that affect your choice of stone when designing jewellery. Additionally, when buying a stone, you need to know how to assess the quality of the stones on offer.
At each session in our gemmology series we discuss the individual characteristics and behaviours of the particular stones, to help you become better designers – and better stone setters too.
We’ve grouped our range of gemstones according to similar hues, to better help you understand the differences between similar stones. Choose a workshop according to your preferred colour palette – or join up for the full bonanza 5 Saturdays!
What will you gain?
As well as gaining a range of great methods to identify the type and quality of your gemstones, you will get the chance to set your stone type of choice at the workshop, to wear home. Make a tension set ring using silver and your favourite stone of the day, or learn traditional pearl stringing techniques using silk, a needle gimp and some clever knots.
Each course runs from 10am – 5pm. Max student numbers: 7
Course Tutors: Elena Timbaliuc and Barbora Rybarova
Booking:
You can sign up for any of the five individual Saturday workshops (purchase button under each listing , See dates and details below).
Alternatively you can sign up for all five workshops to gain a broad insight into gemstones and the basics of gemmology, and you’ll get a great discount too!
Read on……..
Gemmilicious Greens (GG2)
Date: Saturday 28 October 2017
Time: 10am – 5pm
Morning Schedule: Gemmology – Learn to identify between a range of green stones such as Emerald, Agate, Diopside, Peridot, Sapphire, Tourmaline, Jade.
Afternoon schedule: Stone Setting – Choose your stone, make a ring and tension set your stone into it.
Fee: £120
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Beautiful Blues, Pretty Purples (BP2)
Date: Sunday 29 October 2017
Time: 10am – 5pm
Morning Schedule: Gemmology – Learn to identify between a range of blue to purple stones such as Aquamarine, Topaz, Tourmaline,Sapphire, Tanzanite, Iolite, Amethyst, Flourite.
Afternoon schedule: Stone Setting – Choose your stone, make a ring and tension set your stone into it.
Fee: £120
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Plush pinks and Radiant Reds (PR2)
Date: Saturday 3 Feb 2018
Time: 10am – 5pm
Morning Schedule: Gemmology – Learn to identify between a range of pink to red stones such as Quartz, Tourmaline, Ruby, Sapphire, Garnet, Carnelian, Citrine Fire Opal
Afternoon schedule:Stone Setting – Choose your stone, make a ring and tension set your stone into it.
Fee: £120
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Crystal Whites and Bright Clear Pastels (CC2)
Date: Sunday 4 Feb 2018
Time: 10am – 5pm
Morning Schedule: Gemmology – Learn to identify between a range of translucent stones from ‘white’ to pale blues, greens pinks and yellows such as: Diamond, Cubic Zirconia, Topaz, Sapphire, Morganite, Kunzite, Quartz.
Afternoon schedule: Stone Setting – Choose your stone, make a ring and tension set your stone into it.
Fee: £120
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Perfect Pearls (PP2)
Date: Sun 17 December 2017
Time: 10am – 5pm
Morning Schedule: Gemmology – Understand the differences between types and qualities of pearls including: Baroque Pearls, Keshi Pearls, Round/Oval Pearls, Dyed Pearls.
Afternoon schedule: Stone Setting – Make your own string of pearls using the traditional knotting technique on silk.
Fee: £120
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Gem Magic Bonanza (GMB1)
Dates: Courses run on the following weekends
- 28 /29 October 2017
- 17 December 2017
- 3 /4 Feb 2018
Sign up for all five Saturday courses to complete your gemstone initiation.
You can make 5 tension set rings and a string of pearls – or we can challenge you with a new setting technique for each of the workshops 🙂
Fee: £540
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