Jewellery Making
semester 1 & 2
Wrapped glass pendant
This elective combines Art and Design and Technology outcomes.
In Jewellery Making, students work on several projects primarily using metals that can be combined with wood, plastics, stone and found objects. Students will carry out a variety of projects that teach the skills of designing and producing a piece of jewellery that is aesthetic, comfortable and practical for the wearer.
Three projects are produced at the beginning of the course to assess all students’ abilities. The chosen projects will be used to teach the properties and processes related to working with the metals such as copper, brass and nickel. The first processes will be etched design, punching and texture, pieced design and wire wrapping.
The design themes will be from Central American and early ornamentation, nature and natural themes and explorations of your own cultural heritage.
The projects will be a pendant, arm ornament (eg. bangle) and earrings.
Further tasks will involve lost wax casting and soldering.
Summarised objectives for the course:
Prepare young people to cope in a rapidly changing technological world
Help students to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers
Equip students with the knowledge, skills and understanding about materials, tools and processes
Develop practical capabilities – the ability to apply knowledge, skills and understanding of both the design and production process
Planned Projects
1. Pendant Design using Acid Etching:
Design theme: Ancient Civilisations
Research and design process
Techniques for task
Production, finishing and display
2. Texture Bangle using Punches:
Experimentation with the techniques for task
Design theme: Your Culture
Construction
Texture
Finishing
Display
3. Piercing Design Earrings:
Nature as a design source
Techniques for task
Construction
Filing, sanding and polishing
Display
Potential Additional Semester 2 Jewellery Making Tasks for students who have completed the introductory skills
1. Using Plastics in Jewellery
Designing using Inkscape
Laser Etching and Cutting of Acrylic sheeting
Mounting and setting Jewellery items
2. Lost wax casting
Using wax to make models of charms
Construction of stone mounts
Construction of rings
This process will be out-sourced and cast in silver
Cleaning, finishing and presentation
3. Silver Soldering
Processes, Chemistry and Safety
Ring making and design
Combining different metals in a pendant
Attaching a jump-ring to a pendant
Silver use
(additional costs may occur)
Check out some of the amazing jewellery work on our YouTube channel:
Electroplating
