Learn Basic Jewelry Skills while exploring the world of Art Jewelry. We will create unique art jewelry that is lightweight, fun, and stylish -using alternative materials such as plexiglass, aluminum, found objects, toys, and finds from the hardware store.  

Emphasis on developing strong skill sets needed for any future work in jewelry.

This class allows plenty of time to stretch and get deeply into the subject, with space

for plenty of inquiry and play!  The instructor, Chris Unruh, spent seven years working as a costume jewelry designer in New York after receiving a degree in Jewelry from Fashion Institute of Technology. 

Main Skills to take away from this class:

1.    Knowledge and nomenclature of hand tools and motorized tools used in jewelry

2.    Ability to saw, form, pierce, drill, hammer, fold, and manipulate non-ferrous metals

3.    Increased ability to conceive of ideas in 2d and to draw them; later 3d

4.    Knowledge of what can / cannot be done with certain kinds of jewelry

5.    Brief introduction to stones, rocks, shells, and glass used in jewelry making

6.    An understanding of ‘art jewelry’ as well as an intro to some of the people in the field now who are making art jewelry

7.    Knowledge of some of the many ways to connect metals and other things; from cold connections to soldering.

8.    A very brief introduction to stone setting.  This is NOT a class about stone setting.