Course summary  Discover how to add real 24 karat gold highlights to pure silver clay jewellery.  

Please note that due to rising gold and silver prices, this course is now priced to exclude materials, and you will either (1) need to purchase Materials Pack No. 2 from the Materials section of this website at least 3 weeks in advance of your course, or (2) contact us to request the Materials Pack No. 2 PDF, listing the specific materials you will need to buy and bring with you, with which to make your jewellery and textures.

Dates & times  This is a one-day workshop-style course, with doors opening at 09:45hrs for a prompt 10:00hrs start.  The course is scheduled to end at 17:00hrs.  However, as students work at different paces, you should be prepared to stay on for up to 20min if needed at the end of the day, to complete your projects.

Who can take this course?  This is an intermediate course, suitable for you if you have taken our Beginnings in Silver 1-day beginners' silver course, or if you have some experience of working with mouldable pure silver metal clay.  Both men and women are welcome.  It is not suitable for complete beginners.

Why should I take the course?  You'll learn how to add value to your silver clay (Art Clay or PMC) jewellery by combining it with real gold.  Gold jewellery is popular, and sells for a much higher price than silver, but working with gold sheet or wire, or with PMC Gold, is very, very expensive, pushing gold out of the reach of many emerging jewellers.  Silver jewellery with real karat gold highlights often appeals to people who usually wear gold, increasing demand for your work.

What will I learn?  On this workshop, you will learn how to apply real 23.5 karat gold to your fine silver jewellery over low relief textures, using the ancient technique of Keum Boo, and will then apply a surface finish or patination (antiquing) to your finished piece(s) to highlight the gold areas.   The tutor will also explain and demonstrate how to correctly add gold to recessed areas using real karat gold paste which can be fired with a hand torch - so you can get cracking gilding your own work at home after the course, without any expensive equipment.  The method for making the special low relief textures used on this course will also be explained, and you will have a go at making your own special textures to take away with you and use at home.

What will I make?  You will make at least two items of silver jewellery using PMC3 or Art Clay, learning how to control your surface texture to create the perfect conditions for successful use of Keum Boo.   You will also have the opportunity to practice the technique yourself on at least two pieces, using real gold, and will learn how to use abrasives or patination to enhance the contrast between the silver and gold elements.   You will also be introduced to the use of special low-relief textures, and will make at least two special texture plates to use at home, after the course ends.

Are materials included?  No.   Please see important information above about materials for this course.

How many other students will there be?  Places on this specialist  course are strictly limited to just four students, ensuring maximum tutor support as you work on your special pieces.  If you prefer to learn on your own, one-to-one tuition with Sarah Jane Whittaker is also available at higher cost.

What's the tutor like?  This course is taught by Sarah Jane Whittaker.

What do past students say?  This is a new course – reviews coming soon! [See Reviews for more]

What can I go on to do after the course?  After taking this course, you can enrol on one of our other Intermediate (level 2) one-day courses, choosing from Silver Rings Intensive, Master Metal Clay Stone-Setting, or Hollow Form Silver Beads.  Some students go on to attend the Enamelling on Fine Silver 2-day course, or learn Fingerprint Jewellery for Profit.  Other students branch out into mixed media jewellery, combining their new gilding skills with with polymer clay or resin (see Adding Colour).

Can I cancel or change my booking?  Please note that, for logistical reasons, we are unable to offer transfers or refunds on this course.  Please read T&C page before booking.

Your health & safety is our priority  After booking, you will be emailed pre-course information - please read this carefully.   To ensure you receive this safely, please add sussexjewelleryschool@gmail.com to your email address book.  Important:  if you have not received the pre-course information by email within one week of booking, or if there is less than one week before your course takes place, please contact us by phone.