This week on the podcast, host Kim Thomson talks with Charlotte Smith. Char is a trained HGV mechanic, welding tutor and jeweller. She is passionate about foraging metals, giving new life to discarded items. Char is on a mission to help stop women from being intimidated by tools and to promote safe tool use and confidence.

Want to try jewellery making? Then I have some great FREE online courses for you to try. From silver jewellery to beading, wax carving to metal clay - there is something for everybody. Have a browse through the courses on offer and enrol for free. Full course videos, notes, tools and materials list available with immediate lifetime access.

When it comes to email marketing, getting started is often the hardest part. Here are 5 podcast episodes to give you some inspiration

In this week's episode, Jess chats to Elsa Tierney, an award-winning jeweller and goldsmith based in the UK. Elsa, who also has a background in sculpture and art, shares her journey into jewellery making, which began in childhood with crafting hair braids and bangles. Her passion led her to study textiles and fine art, eventually focusing on jewellery. She discusses her book, "Art of Wax," and recounts her career challenges, including overcoming epilepsy and finding affordable studio space.

If you’ve been wondering about the tools and materials you need to complete a jewellery diploma then here they are!

One of the benefits of completing an online Diploma with us is then you have all the tools you need to do more from home and to start a jewellery business if you want to.

Here are links to all the tools and materials you need by course

The deadline to sign up for a Jewellery Diploma course with Jewellers Academy is fast approaching. You have until midnight on Friday 7th June to get yourself on the list. In this week's podcast, Jessica Rose is talking with Community Manager Anna Campbell all about the ten reasons to join a Diploma this year. If you've been on the fence about it do have a listen so you can decide whether one of the four Diploma courses is right for you.

You need support when you are learning something new. You will get stuck, there will be issues that you need help resolving.

Find out how the Jewellers Academy Diploma courses have been designed to ensure your success.

If you’ve been wondering - what can I do with a jewellery diploma? This is for you

If you are thinking about taking a Jewellery Diploma course with Jewellers Academy and wondering if it’s really for you, why not hear from some of our graduates? This is a great opportunity to hear from someone who’s been there and to find out about their experience with the course, how they got started with jewellery making and what they are doing now.

In this week's episode, Jess chats with Sara Arnold, a student in the inaugural year of the diploma in silver metal clay. Sara shares her journey into jewellery making, which began when she repaired a beaded necklace from Egypt. Her passion grew, leading her to explore silversmithing and eventually discover metal clay during the lockdown. She expresses her enthusiasm for the diploma, highlighting the new techniques and challenges she faced, which significantly improved her craftsmanship. 

In this week's episode, Jess chats to Kelly Twigg, a jeweller known for her sea glass jewellery and active presence on Instagram. Kelly discusses her journey from a Navy career to becoming a self-employed jewellery maker. Kelly's Instagram success, boasting over 30,000 followers, is attributed to her authentic and engaging approach, sharing not just her work but also personal aspects of her life, which resonates with her audience.

In Episode 5, the final episode of this series, I visit the Oxo Tower in London’s South Bank where jeweller Sima Vaziry has her studio and shop. Sima works with silver metal clay and has sold her jewellery at the British Museum for over 10 years. Sima talks about how health issues meant she was no longer able to work in traditional ways, discovering silver clay and getting high profile clients.

Watch the episode now.

In this bonus podcast episode, Jess interviews Alexandra, a jeweller who runs her own business called Von W Jewellery. Alexandra specializes in creating fine jewellery pieces using gold and diamonds, employing an experimental technique of melting diamonds into gold. She shares her journey, starting from her early experiences in silversmithing and her advanced studies on the Jewellers Academy Diploma courses, which equipped her with the skills to work with precious materials.

In this week's episode, Jess chats with Sima Vaziry, a talented metal clay jeweller whose work has been sold through the British Museum for over a decade, and who is the final jeweller to appear in the Handmade Jewellers series. The discussion focuses on how Sima uses her craft to support various charities, highlighting her involvement with Afghan Aid and other initiatives.

The Handmade Jewellers is a documentary series we have made for you. In episode 4 I visit Cambridge to meet jeweller Iain Sainsbury. Jewellery making is an encore career for Iain, after working for decades in the pharmaceutical industry. He suffered burnout and needed a new creative outlet. Iain talks about his journey into jewellery making and teaches me sand casting. Watch the episode now.

In this week's episode, Jess chats with Iain Sainsbury, who is the featured jeweller in the fourth episode of the Handmade Jewellers series and who recently got accepted to showcase his work at Goldsmith North, a prestigious fair for jewellers. Ian shares his journey of applying to the fair, highlighting the challenges and decisions involved. He emphasizes the importance of having a platform where people can physically engage with his jewellery, which led him to apply to Goldsmith North.

The Handmade Jewellers is a documentary series we have made for you. In episode 3 I visit London to meet jeweller Ange B. Ange designs jewellery inspired by architecture. She shows me around her studio aka the she cave and teaches me a skill I’ve never learnt before. Ange talks about how she balances her career as a physiotherapist with her jewellery business. Watch the episode now.

In this week's episode, Jess chats with Ange B, a jeweller who makes architectural style jewellery and who features in the third episode of Handmade Jewellers. Ange discusses her journey into working with gold in her jewellery business and explains how she transitioned from working mainly in silver to incorporating gold into her designs. Initially hesitant due to ethical concerns about gold plating, Ange eventually began using recycled gold, starting with a collection featuring mixed metals and gradually adding more gold pieces to her existing collections.

The Handmade Jewellers is a documentary series we have made for you. In episode 2 I visit London to meet fine jeweller Susannah King. We get a tour of her studio, she teaches me some stone setting and we also meet a special guest. Watch now

Susannah King is featured in episode 2 of The Handmade Jewellers, premiering this week on Thursday 2nd May ay 8pm BST. This week on the podcast we're sharing a previous interview recorded with her in 2023. Susannah is a fourth generation jeweller and talks about her background in repairing jewellery and how she has built her jewellery business and a community on social media just waiting for her collections to be released, even selling out a collection in two minutes.