How to Start Making Silver Jewellery at Home in 2026 – New Courses Out Now (podcast episode)
In this week’s episode of the Jewellers Academy podcast, Jess is joined by tutor Laura-Jayne to share how beginners can start making silver jewellery at home with confidence. They explore the essential skills every jeweller needs, what to expect from your first projects, and how to progress from simple pieces like a pendant and ring to more advanced designs such as spinner rings and lentil beads. This episode offers practical guidance, reassurance and inspiration to help you get started.
Listen now:
If you’ve been thinking about trying silver jewellery making, this podcast episode is a great place to begin. In this conversation, Jessica is joined by Jewellers Academy tutor Laura-Jayne to talk about how beginners can get started, the foundational skills that matter most, and how the new beginner and intermediate silver jewellery courses help students build confidence at home.
Laura-Jayne shares why learning jewellery making step by step is so important, especially when you’re new to tools, soldering and saw piercing. She also explains how online learning can make things easier for beginners, with clear close-up demonstrations, the ability to pause and rewind, and lifetime access so you can revisit techniques whenever you need to.
The episode also gives a closer look at the two new courses. The Beginners Silver Jewellery Workshop includes a pierced pendant project and a textured silver ring, helping students learn core skills such as sawing, drilling, filing, soldering and shaping metal. The Intermediate Silver Jewellery Workshop then builds on those foundations with a spinner ring and lentil bead necklace, introducing doming, hollow forms and more advanced construction techniques.
One of the most encouraging parts of the episode is Laura-Jayne’s reminder that there is no one perfect way to make jewellery. There are many ways to achieve a result, and the most important thing is to work safely, keep practising and enjoy the process. If you’re curious about making your own jewellery, this episode is a lovely introduction.
Key Moments from this Episode
02:01 Introduction to the episode and the new silver jewellery courses
04:36 Laura-Jayne introduces herself and shares her jewellery background
07:12 Why clear teaching, tool guidance and safety matter for beginners
10:08 How beginners grow in confidence and start making wearable pieces quickly
12:44 Why online jewellery learning can work so well from home
15:17 Inside the Beginners Silver Jewellery Workshop online course
16:00 What students learn from the pierced pendant project
21:37 What students learn from making their first silver ring
24:43 Why foundational skills like soldering and filing matter so much
27:45 Inside the Intermediate Silver Jewellery Workshop online course
28:23 How a spinner ring works and what students will learn
33:14 The lentil bead necklace project and learning to create domed forms
36:31 Laura-Jayne’s advice for anyone starting jewellery making at home
38:09 Final thoughts and where to find the courses
ready to start your jewellery journey?
The courses talked about in this episode are out now and are currently available at a special early bird discount of 50% off.
And if you want to do both, you can save even more with the workshop bundle.
The Beginners Silver Jewellery Workshop is the perfect introduction to making your own silver jewellery.
Designed for complete beginners, this step-by-step course teaches you the core techniques used by jewellers while guiding you through two beautiful projects: a pierced silver pendant and a classic silver ring.
You’ll learn how to saw, drill and file silver, transfer and cut out a design, shape and texture metal, and master essential processes such as annealing, soldering and pickling. These are the foundation skills for all jewellery making.
By the end of the workshop you’ll have two finished pieces of jewellery and the confidence that comes from creating them yourself.
It is also available in a course bundle with Intermediate Silver Jewellery.
Right now, this course is available with an early bird discount of 50% off.
The Intermediate Silver Jewellery Workshop is designed for jewellers who are ready to build on their foundational skills and try more advanced techniques.
In this course you’ll create two distinctive projects: a spinner ring with a moving outer band and a lentil bead formed from two domed pieces of silver.
Along the way you’ll refine your sawing, drilling and filing skills, learn how to construct a wide ring band with a fitted spinner, and use doming punches to create smooth, even forms.
By the end of the workshop you’ll have two new pieces of jewellery and a deeper understanding of how to add dimension, movement and precision to your silver work.
It is also available in a course bundle with Beginners Silver Jewellery Workshop.
Right now, this course is available with an early bird discount of 50% off.
about laura
Laura-Jayne Grey is a jeweller and tutor at Jewellers Academy and the founder of Small Dog Silver. Working from her home studio in rural Shropshire, her jewellery is inspired by nature, folklore and myth, with a focus on creating meaningful, wearable pieces. Laura-Jayne teaches across a range of programmes including the Foundation course and diploma levels, and is known for her clear, practical teaching style that helps beginners build confidence quickly. She specialises in breaking down techniques into simple, achievable steps, making jewellery making accessible for those starting out at home.
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