Celebrating One Year of Jewellers Academy Brighton: 2,000 Students, 700 Classes, and a Growing Community (Podcast episode)
Jewellers Academy Brighton is celebrating its first birthday, marking a full year since the studio opened its doors in the UK. In that time, the team have welcomed over 2,000 students from around the world and run more than 700 classes, from first-time beginner sessions to advanced stone setting, enamelling, and Diplomas.
In this episode, Jess is joined by the Brighton team - Lisa, Ellinor and Mahroz - to share behind-the-scenes highlights and what makes the studio such a special place to learn. You’ll hear how students grow in confidence, develop their own design style, and surprise themselves with what they can make with the right guidance and support.
They also explore the buzzing in-person community, including bench hires and the gallery space where resident jewellers showcase their work.
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This week marks a major milestone: the first anniversary of Jewellers Academy Brighton.
While Jewellers Academy has supported jewellers online for many years, the opening of a physical studio in Brighton brought something new: a dedicated space where jewellers could learn, practice, and connect in person. One year later, that space has grown into a thriving creative hub filled with students, tutors, and resident makers.
In this week’s episode of the Jewellers Academy Podcast, founder Jessica Rose is joined by School Manager Lisa Hagen and tutors Ellinor Sixtensdotter and Mahroz Hekmati to reflect on the journey so far - what’s been achieved, what students have experienced, and what makes the Brighton studio so special.
From AN Empty Office to A Creative Hub
A year ago, the Brighton studio was simply an empty office building - grey walls, bare floors, and no jewellery benches in sight.
Transforming it into a jewellery school required vision, planning, and an enormous amount of preparation. The tutors assembled benches, unpacked tools, and organised materials ready for the first students. Equipment arrived from major suppliers, and every detail was carefully considered to create a space that felt welcoming, professional, and inspiring.
Today, that once-empty office has become a fully equipped jewellery studio - bright, colourful, and filled with creative energy.
But the most important transformation wasn’t just physical; it was the creation of a community.
THE Year in Numbers
The scale of what’s happened in just twelve months is remarkable:
Over 2,000 students have attended classes
More than 700 classes were delivered
Around 50,000 grams of silver were used
Over 2,000 gemstones were set
Students travelled from across the UK and internationally including Japan, the United States, Canada, Germany, Belgium, and the Caribbean
A teaching team of around 25 tutors supported students at every level
These numbers reflect not only growth, but demand - clear evidence of how many people are eager to learn jewellery making.
Supporting Beginners and Advanced Jewellers Alike
One of the defining features of the Brighton studio is its accessibility. Students arrive with a huge range of experience from complete beginners to professional jewellers looking to refine advanced skills.
For many beginners, the journey starts with the Beginner Silver Jewellery course. This is often the moment everything changes.
Students arrive feeling unsure, wondering whether they’ll be able to solder, shape metal, or complete a finished piece. By the end of the day, they leave holding their first silver ring. That moment of pride and disbelief is something the team witnesses again and again. It’s not just about learning a technical skill. It’s about discovering what’s possible.
Watching Confidence Grow
One of the greatest rewards for tutors and staff is seeing students evolve.
Students who initially doubt their abilities gradually build confidence as they complete projects and develop new techniques. Over time, they move from following instructions to making creative decisions and developing their own design style.
The Diploma programmes are particularly powerful in this respect because students return regularly over many months, tutors can see dramatic improvement - from foundational techniques to advanced stone setting and complex construction.
Even when students follow the same curriculum, their finished work is always unique, reflecting their individual creativity and personality.
A Safe and Supportive Learning Environment
Creating a welcoming environment has been central to the studio’s success. Students consistently describe the space as friendly, calm, and encouraging. Small class sizes ensure everyone receives individual support, and structured teaching helps students progress step by step.
Many people arrive feeling nervous about learning something new. By the end of their class, they not only complete their project - they leave feeling empowered.
This supportive atmosphere is intentional. It allows students to take risks, make mistakes, and learn without fear of judgement.
The Role of the Tutors: Passing on Skills and Passion
The Brighton studio is home to an exceptional team of tutors, each bringing their own expertise and perspective.
For tutor Ellinor Sixtensdotter, teaching has provided a meaningful balance alongside running her jewellery business. While making jewellery can often be solitary, teaching offers connection, collaboration, and the opportunity to share knowledge.
Long-term mentoring relationships develop, especially during Diploma programmes, where tutors witness students’ creative growth over time.
Tutor Mahroz has also expanded her teaching in Brighton, delivering advanced courses including enamelling, stone setting, and fine jewellery techniques. Enamelling, in particular, is a craft with thousands of years of history, and passing on this knowledge helps ensure it continues for future generations.
Teaching, for many tutors, is as rewarding as making.
Beyond Classes: A Working Jewellery Community
The Brighton studio is more than a classroom. It’s also home to resident jewellers who rent bench space to work on their own collections. This creates a unique environment where learning and professional practice exist side by side. Students can see working jewellers in action, gain inspiration, and imagine their own future path. Some Diploma graduates have stayed on to rent benches, continuing their jewellery journey within the same supportive community.
The studio also includes gallery space, allowing jewellers to display and sell their work.
This combination of teaching, making, and community creates a dynamic creative ecosystem.
Why In-Person Learning Still Matters
Jewellers Academy has long supported students online, but the Brighton studio offers something different: shared physical experience.
Being surrounded by other jewellers provides motivation, inspiration, and connection that can be difficult to replicate elsewhere.
For established jewellers, visiting the studio can reignite creativity and introduce new techniques. For beginners, it offers structure, guidance, and confidence. Learning jewellery making is not just about acquiring skills - it’s about belonging to a creative community.
A Place for Everyone
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Brighton studio is its diversity.
Students include:
Young adults beginning creative careers
Professionals changing direction
Hobbyists exploring jewellery for the first time
Experienced jewellers expanding their skills
Retired people discovering new creative passions
There is no single type of jewellery student.
Everyone arrives with curiosity and leaves with new skills.
Looking Ahead
The first year of Jewellers Academy Brighton has laid a strong foundation but this is only the beginning.
With new Diploma programmes, intensive courses, and an expanding community, the studio continues to grow.
More students will discover jewellery making, more skills will be shared and more creative journeys will begin.
As Jess reflects, the most meaningful part of the experience is simple: seeing someone arrive unsure and leave knowing they can do it.
Jewellers Academy Brighton is located in Brighton England and runs courses for beginners to advanced level learners and everything in between!
Check out the timetable to see what you can learn