Meet the Mentors
REPLAY - watch now
with Jewellers Academy
When you’re learning new jewellery making techniques having a mentor helps you build your confidence and skill faster. One of the big benefits of the Diploma courses with Jewellers Academy is that you are assigned a mentor who will work with you one to one over Zoom. Your mentor also assess your work and give you one to one constructive feedback.
We have a team of mentors at Jewellers Academy who are all working jewellers. I invited four of the mentors, one for each of the Diploma courses, to talk a bit about their experience of mentoring, how they support you and what they love about working with you one to one. They will also be taking your questions.
This is a great opportunity to find out more about how you will be supported and accountable on the course and to find out more about the talented jewellers on the team.
Who are the mentors?
Diploma in Silver Jewellery - Year 1
Elin Horgan is a largely self-taught jewellery designer and maker with over 10 years of experience in the industry. She makes her own collections which she sells online and through selected independent shops & galleries in the UK. She also teaches wax carving classes in the Bristol area, helping students to create their own ring or pendant design which is then cast in silver and has filmed wax carving projects for the Diploma
LEARN MORE - Diploma in Silver Jewellery
Diploma in Fine Jewellery - Year 2
Barbara Yarde studied jewellery and silversmithing at Sir John Cass University in London. She is a trained goldsmith and passionate tutor and mentor for Jewellers Academy. Her work combines traditional silver and gold designs with techniques such as wax carving, Keum-Boo (fine gold fusing) and reticulation. She runs her own jewellery brand in London selling handmade collections and bespoke work.
LEARN MORE - Diploma in Fine Jewellery
Advanced Jewellery Diploma - Year 3
Anelia Kuprina is an award-winning independent London jewellery designer, who combines traditional hand-making techniques with modern technologies to create exquisite jewels.
In the ten years that she has spent in the industry, she has worked for leading UK jewellery companies, West End ateliers and the time-honoured workshops of Hatton Garden. This practical training has endowed her with the skills necessary to be able to expertly manipulate precious metals and infuse meticulous precision into her work. Her signature is bold, innovative and exciting. Anelia jewellery utilises her innate understanding of form and texture with a potent blend of hypnotic colour to create luxurious sculptural masterpieces in miniature form.
LEARN MORE - Advanced Jewellery Diploma
Diploma in Silver Metal Clay
Metal Clay artist Vicki Ralph likes to create little worlds in my pieces. Silver clay looks and feels like the soft moldable clay we’re all familiar with but has tiny particles of fine silver mixed into it. When fired the clay burns away revealing a fine silver sculpture. Vicki loves using metal clay to create detailed and intricate elements and the ability to tell stories through jewellery. Her pieces often feature natural gemstones and are oxidized to highlight details and provide a timeless feel.