I am teaching high schoolers (grades 11-12) introduction to jewelry making and I am building a curriculum for the students. I’m looking for great successful projects for beginning high school
jewelry students. Any suggestions?
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What is your tool budget and what kind of studio facilities do you have? Is what you plan to do integrated within the larger art department curriculum or is it kind of stand alone? Is it a year long course or more of a mini course? I have been asked to do this in the past, but the need for maybe $1,000/student basic tool set prevented it from happening. Let us know…Rob
Look into the curriculum of Tim Mccreight and Alan Revere. There is a great facebook group called let’s make professional jewelry that is hosted by Alan Revere. And Tim has books out there that teach the basics. Both are highly respected and considered in the jewelry world as master teachers.
Jo
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Hello Elisabetha,
In addition to the curricula mentioned by Jo, I would suggest you get a copy of the old Dover reprint of Jewelry Making and Design by Cirino and Rose. First published in 1918, this book’s beginning chapters (Ch, 2-10) give various beginning projects, starting with slightly domed brooches which are sawn out and shaped by filing and sanding. You only need disks of metal to start, a saw frame and blades, some sandpaper and creative ways to use it and some way of polishing, which could even be some polishing cloths and tripoli and rouge. Students could solder on a pin and catch, but this could also be done by cold connection. Cirino and Rose give a set of hand tools for each student on Pp. 140-141 and some discussion of other tools, which you could modify and reduce. With cheap hand tools coming from China, etc., I think your outlay would be under $100 per student.
If you looked at wire wrapped jewelry and added some of that into your curriculum, students could make easy rings out of a length of wire and add beads. No soldering needed.
I know we jewelry snobs think of this as watering things down, but for kids, it is learning to follow directions, learning about properties of metals (ductility, work-hardening, etc.), methods of fabrication, jewelry design, metals and their toxicity, etc., etc. If you add some lecture and discussion, it can help them learn about manufacturing and why so much has moved offshore. About value added and markets and profit margins in a small business. There's just so much you could teach and all in the context of craftsmanship and the heritage of art jewelry. Cirino and Rose came at the end of the Arts and Crafts period, so there's even that which you could talk about.
People I know in Kenya are starting workshops for women in small villages with minimal budgets, so I hear about this and think about it a lot. What you can do with minimal means, as in third world countries or as the Native Americans did in the early 1900's.
Hope this helps,
royjohn
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A great way to start s by learning how to use a saw. Most simple projects are boring, but teach a lot. One item that seems to intrigue students is tab setting. below is an image I took off Pinterest. Search tab setting
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Hi Royjohn,
that book is my absolute favorite “design” book!
talks about how the easiest path from imitation to inspiration/ creation is thru variation…love that!
sort of gives “permission” to start with something you love and then explore what aspects about it you love, eventually finding your own voice…can be hard when surrounded by references for learning…ones brain gets filled with examples from books, teachers, artists…dont want to copy…hard to sift thru the brain sometimes and discover the essence…ones own vision…
i struggle!
i also highly recommend this book!
julie
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I am not sure of the budget yet, but it will be a semester long class (16 weeks) with 8 students per class, and will be a stand alone class (but there is a 3D printer, which might be a fun casting portion). I have access to a centrifugal casting, kiln, oxy acetylene torch setup, flex-shafts, and basic hand tools.
Hi julie and elisabeth and all,
@elisabetha…so you have enough flexshafts and associated burs and such for eight students, or at least 4 for pairs of students to share? And hand tools (saw frames & pliers, files and sandpaper sticks, etc.) for each student?
@julie…I don’t want to take this thread way off topic, and if we continue this discussion we might want to make it a new thread on learning thru imitation vs originality…my own process has been to first fall in love with certain styles. In my case it’s been Arts and Crafts, Art Noveau, Deco and Native American jewelry. I also have Cirino and Rose with their graded steps to learning jewelry processes and a similar book on basic jewelry fabrication skills by James Pelissier, written to teach new students in Mexico. Those two are all about imitation and basic skills. Add to that my desire to avoid making pieces that “steal” from what I, as a non-Native American, would consider tribal patrimonies, and you’ll be in my position, trying to make something that is an homage to A&C or Native American styles, but still my own. I think this is a fun place to be.
Another interesting example is the work of Edward Oakes, an American Arts and Crafts jeweler, carried on by his son, Gilbert Oakes, and his grandaughter, Susan. How did each vary what they did from those they learned that style from? How far did they stray from the originals? I find all this fascinating and stimulating. -royjohn
Hi,
perhaps one project could be a pierced medallion with a bezel set cabochon
you could provide a few simple patterns to choose from, along with a round cabochon
project would include:
layout/ transfer
centerpunching/ drilling/ piercing
needle filing/ burnishing (ootional burs, wheels to clean-up/ finish)
sanding gits 360/400/600
pre-polishing/ polishing
options for texturing the surface
creating a bail/ soldering/ soldering to medallion/ pickling
fitting a fine bezel wire/ soldering/pickling
cabochon stone setting/ needle filing/ bezel pusher/ burnisher
a next project could be making a chain (optional for medallion)
(bracelet or necklace).
you could provide a few link options
make jumprings/ using mandrels and/ or use pliers to shape
pick solder joints closed on half of them
connect link segments/ pick solder closed
(a lot of small soldering practice)
(consider plier work with shaped links, twisted links, loop-in- loop chains, etc)
a next project could be making a decorative hook or toggle clasp for chain
hammer/ forging wire
twisted wire
adding soldered decorative elements
a next project could be a layered, pierced cigar band shaped ring
you could provide a few template options
how to adjust length for ring size
center punch/ drilling/ piercing
sweat soldering 2 flat layers/ fitting flat
soldering round wire along edges of band
shaping ring on mandrel/ rawhide mallet
texturing/ polishing/ finishing options
with or without a stone setting
maybe something along these lines…
julie
My comments are from the point of view of having been a school district administrator/curriculum director in NY for a long time. Assuming that this high school is in a state that has curriculum standards, both state and local, whatever is taught in a public school needs to be aligned with these standards. So I would suggest to anyone that I supervised that they need to figure out how what they teach does this. A semester long course, assuming that there are the typical 5-40 minute periods a week or that amount of contact time in some configuration, is a lot of time. There may also be open lab time, after school time, club time etc. This gives the instructor time to add a little art history to the course, at least as it applies to jewelry. Time can also be spent looking at modern fashion and fine jewelry, possibly taking field trips to local shops and/or inviting speakers in who can talk about jewelry from a design and commercial point of view. Skills can be discussed then taught in the context of what is discovered during these activities. Once basic skills are acquired, the instruction can transition to more of a project based type of instruction. Here the students can identify the project and what they hope it will look like when they are done, assess what tools, materials and skills might be needed to finish the project and then get on with their exploration. It would help if the students had some drawing skills. Through drawing the instructor and students may be able to communicate better than by just using descriptions. This may also be a part of the standards that they are supposed to be working towards. In a semester, I would stay with basic skills like planning the project, estimating what material is needed and scheduling. Maybe even bringing in some math skills as they might apply to this process. Then cutting, sawing, filing, forging, soldering/fabrication, grinding, sanding, polishing stone setting (maybe second semester) and coloring as they might apply to their project. It might make sense for everyone to do the same project. This will then make it easier to teach skills and then evaluate if and how well the students have acquired these skills. Most state standards have some sort of evaluation requirement built into them. Once into the exploration stage, the instructor can spend more one on one time helping each student acquire these basic skills. Don’t ignore the possibility that one student may be able to teach another student a skill that they have already acquired. There may also be the opportunity for students to work in teams. They will most likely work together anyway. I would stay away from casting and save that for a second semester. Any time that I have taught someone how to make a basic Meixner style bracelet, we start with copper wire. This takes away the worry associated with wrecking an expensive piece of silver. Copper and brass have their own desirable qualities. Finally, you have to address safety right from the start. You might save yourself a lot of trouble by making sure that the administrators who supervise you and the student’s parents know what types of chemicals and other potential safety hazards the students will be working with. I might go so far as to get parents and students signatures on a piece of paper that certifies that they are aware of these hazards and understand how they are to behave around them. If you are an art teacher or technology teacher, this should all be a piece of cake as they do this type of instruction all the time. This project sounds like a lot of fun. Please keep us posted on how it goes. Good luck…Rob
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Hello Elisabeth, Good for you. Teaching the basics of making jewelry will be both a challenge and rewarding experience. A couple of questions: What metal do you propose using? Although ‘pewter’ and ‘nickle silver’ are inexpensive, some unfortunate habits can result from their use. Go for sterling. Students can use sterling flatware to drop costs. Maybe a relative has an odd spoon or a damaged piece. What basic skills and in what order do you intend to use? Obviously sawing, simple forging, and brazing (soldering) are things with which beginners are not familiar. What pieces will be in the syllabus? The temptation will be attempting something complicated with stones. Resist. Kids are thrilled with making a simple band ring for themselves. Simple is the operative word. Even then, think of all the skills needed to accomplish a ring.
I have some lesson plans for elders that involve using copper and cold connections. Simple things that allow individual creativity. Although teaching adults and youth involve different techniques and approaches, you are welcome to these plans.
Best of luck, from an elderly person,Judy in Kansas, where the rains continue and gardens are producing vegees like crazy!
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Rob’s post is thorough and excellent. Having taken a metals class in junior high school and a number of community college classes, the only thing I’d add from that experience is to teach “see something say something”, because the instructor’s eyes cannot be everywhere at once. Students should know that it is O.K. and necessary to tell someone they are doing something wrong, like having long hair down at a buffing machine. Some students might be too shy to say anything unless they are told that safety is everyone’s lookout.
Neil A
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SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmiths) hosts a regular zoom Educator’s Dialog session. That would be a great place to ask this question directly to fellow educators. I’m pretty sure that you don’t have to be a member to participate, but you can confirm that with SNAG. There’s no charge for the Dialog Sessions. The next zoom Educator’s Dialog session is July 19th. Think about checking it out.
Cheers!
Jeff
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A simple set of stacking rings is a great project. It covers basic sawing, soldering making a bezel and setting a stone. Making three rings to stack works to repeat the processes and end up with a very nice looking result
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Thank you for the reply Judy! The materials I am using are brass, copper and silver. I wanted to get them familiar with the saw by using the vinyl floor samples from a hardware store first, then move onto a pieced pendant for the first project- a simple one layer. To cover measuring rings and soldering, making a simple stacker ring, then onto a saddle ring (but have them draw it out and model it in paper first. Yes- I am constantly reminding myself to stick to simple- I do not want to overwhelm them and burn them out. I do have 2nd year students (2 or 3) in the class- so I may have them make their own cabs, but the teacher before me used bezel cups for the first year students. I would love to take a look at your lesson plans if you dont mind? I hope you are harvesting lots of deliscious veggies, my tomatos are going wild, its heavenly.
Thank you for the guidance Rob, I appreciate it. I am planning on doing a little art history into the curriculum, and the school is in DC, so we have access to all of the Smithsonian Museums here, which is very exciting. I am providing each student a notebook where they will take notes, write/ draw inspiration, and practice drawing design concepts. From the get go- Safety is the big topic! I read this great tip about having a student as a “demo assistant”, where they will demonstrate what I just did to the other students. For measuring and planning- I wanted to show the students how to measure ring shafts and draw out flat designs on paper and transfer them to metal- maybe some paper modeling first? I am very excited, it is a lot of planning and information- I am just trying to digest it all and keep it organized. I appreciate everyones input!
Good luck with your class. I hear some excitement in your words. Where in DC do you teach…Rob
The Lab School in DC
I am not sure where that is. What is the address? I come to DC from time to time visiting relatives in Arlington and Chevy Chase…Rob