Luxury Jewellery Workshop Experiences

Our jewellery philosophy is based on Wabi Sabi, the Japanese belief that there is beauty in imperfection. We encourage you to celebrate your achievements even if there are irregularities, as these become part of the special memory you have created.

Reflecting Tara Lois Jewellery's commitment to inclusion, our workshop is fully wheelchair-accessible.

*** If you are attending the Ring Making Experience and want to make the ring for someone else, then please measure the internal diameter of one of the rings they currently wear so that it will be the right size. Not all professional ring measures are the same!

Please wear closed shoes and clothes which can get dirty. Bring your reading glasses and something to tie back your hair. We provide safety goggles and apron. For safety reasons we can only welcome  adults and guests aged 14 to 18, who must be accompanies by a responsible adult.

During the Experience Booking process you will be offered the opportunity to read the full Workshop Terms & Conditions.

You will be given an introduction to health & safety, as well as the tools and the jewellery making techniques you will need to hand craft your own design in recycled sustainable 925 silver.

In the Ring Making Workshop Experiences, you will be shown how to measure a ring size before sawing and curving 3mm wide silver ribbon to size. You will be able to personalise your ring using metal stamps, hammering textures or sawing surface lines.

Your finished jewellery will be put into a polishing barrel for about 30 minutes and will emerge fully polished.

During the Silver Wire Workshop Experiences, you will curve, twist and cut silver wire into the shapes in your design. Once you start working at your own pace, Tara Lois may advise you how to adapt your design so that you finish making within the time available.

Your finished jewellery will be put into a polishing barrel for about 30 minutes and will emerge fully polished.

If you choose the Wax Sculpting and Casting Experience then you will be shown how to model jewellers wax using heated tools and cutters, as well as filing to create texture. If you are casting a ring, then Tara Lois will ensure that the wax ring size is correct, the rest of the decoration is yours to create.

Tara Lois uses sand casting, which involves pushing your wax design into special sand to create a cavity which is a negative impression of your jewellery. Tara Lois will then melt recycled silver in her furnace until it is molten and pour the red hot metal into the sand cast. Sometimes casting can be temperamental and so this process may need repeating until the jewellery cast is complete.

After cooling, Tara Lois will cut away larger excesses of metal left over from the casting process. At this time, before you start finishing, Tara Lois will weigh your jewellery to calculate the cost of metals/preparation.

Jewellery made on the Wax Sculpting and Casting Experience will need polishing by hand, so Tara Lois will polish your pieces because this is a really messy process. Even so, this will not be perfect finish since Tara Lois does not have a professional polishing wheel. Then your last action is to remove all the polishing compound from your jewellery at the sink.

All soldering will be undertaken by Tara Lois because it is so easy to melt you work with the powerful flames. You can try soldering at your request, but if you melt your work it is unlikely you will have a finished piece at the end of the workshop.

Some people like the rougher look, while others want their jewellery smoother. There will be files and sandpaper boards for you to finish your jewellery  the way you like it.

Tara Lois will polish your finished pieces by hand or in a barrel which you are welcome to watch or instead choose to relax.

Tara Lois will hallmark your jewellery and offer you gift packaging to take your jewellery home in.