Diploma in Wax Jewellery Open Day Replay: Your Questions Answered
If you’ve been curious about learning wax jewellery making, exploring stone setting, or wondering whether a year-long Diploma could be the right next step for your jewellery journey, our Diploma in Wax Jewellery Open Day was packed with answers.
In this replay, Jewellers Academy founder Jessica Rose takes you behind the scenes of our brand new Diploma in Wax Jewellery and shares exactly what students can expect over the year: from the projects and techniques you’ll learn to the support available and how assessment works.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or already making jewellery and looking to expand your skills, this session will help you understand what makes learning in wax so exciting.
watch the replay
What is the Diploma in Wax Jewellery?
The Diploma in Wax Jewellery is a one-year, flexible training programme designed to take you from foundations through to advanced wax jewellery techniques and a final collection.
The course runs across three terms from September to July and is designed to fit around busy lives, with around one day (approximately 7 hours) per week recommended for study.
Throughout the year you’ll explore both carving and build-up wax techniques, learn multiple approaches to stone setting and develop the confidence to create finished jewellery pieces ready to wear, sell or develop into a collection.
One of the things that makes this Diploma unique is that it doesn’t stop at making in wax. You’ll also learn how to finish cast pieces, clean up castings and complete professional stone setting in metal so that you understand the full journey from idea to finished jewellery.
What will you actually make?
This is one of the questions we’re always asked.
And the answer is: a lot.
Across the year you’ll work through a huge range of projects designed to gradually build your confidence and technical ability.
You’ll begin with wax rings and pendants before moving into cabochon settings, faceted settings, signet rings and claw settings.
As the course progresses, you’ll explore:
• Cast-in-place stone setting
• Star and grain setting
• Shaped signet rings
• Build-up wax techniques
• Statement rings
• Cleaning and finishing cast pieces
• Stone setting in metal
• Soft wax exploration
• Mitsuro Hikime techniques
• Precision fine jewellery projects
• Your own final mini collection
The result is not simply learning isolated techniques. It’s building a complete toolkit for designing and creating jewellery in wax.
How does support work?
One of the biggest concerns people have about online learning is whether they’ll be left to figure everything out alone.
That isn’t how the Diploma works.
Each week new professionally filmed lessons are released into your course area, accompanied by downloadable notes and resources.
Alongside the teaching, students receive:
• Fortnightly small-group Zoom sessions
• Six one-to-one mentoring sessions across the year
• A private Diploma community group
• Ongoing tutor and team support
The aim is not just to give you information but to help you keep momentum and actually complete the work.
A question that came up: Is this suitable for complete beginners?
Yes.
One of the lovely things about this cohort already is that people are joining with very different levels of experience.
Some have never made jewellery before while others have years of making experience but want to learn wax specifically.
The programme is designed assuming no prior knowledge and gradually builds technical confidence throughout the year.
Jess shared something during the session that we loved:
You don’t need to do it perfectly.
If you could already do everything perfectly, there wouldn’t be much point in taking the course.
Learning jewellery is about experimenting, challenging yourself and developing your skills over time.
Can I still create jewellery in my own style?
Absolutely.
This was another great question from the session.
Some projects are more structured because they are teaching specific technical skills and assessment criteria.
But much of the course gives you freedom to develop your own aesthetic, make design choices and explore your own creative direction.
By the final project, you’ll be creating a small wax collection that reflects your style and everything you’ve learned throughout the year.
Why choose wax?
Wax offers something different.
It allows you to think in three dimensions, experiment freely and create forms that can be difficult or time-consuming to achieve through sheet metal fabrication alone.
It also creates space for experimentation. Because you’re working initially in wax, you can test ideas, develop concepts and decide which pieces are worth casting before committing to precious metal.
For many jewellers, that freedom becomes part of the magic.
Watch the replay
If you’re considering joining us for September, watch the full Open Day replay to see the projects, hear the questions and get a feel for whether this feels like your next creative step.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZHf5a5n2nk&
And if you still have questions afterwards, our team would love to chat and help you work out whether the Diploma in Wax Jewellery is right for you.
Email contact@jewellersacademy.com with any questions you have.
USEFUL LINKS
See the Diploma in Wax Jewellery curriculum and course dates here: https://www.jewellersacademy.com/diploma-in-wax-jewellery
Find the full tools and materials lists: https://www.jewellersacademy.com/diploma-in-wax-jewellery-tools-and-materials
Book now: https://www.jewellersacademy.com/apply-now-diploma-in-wax-jewellery