How to start a Jewellery Making hobby?

How to start a Jewellery Making hobby? - Dainty London

I used to have a very high-pressured job as a Children’s Intensive care nurse so on my days off I always needed something fun & entertaining to do. I have always been a girl of hobbies and crazes, from pottery, to photography, to model making, to dolls house making (yup I know, a strange hobby), to candle making, to bath bombs and face care products and so on…literally one morning I woke up and decided to start making my own jewellery.

Fast forward seven years, I  have left nursing altogether and have set up my own jewellery business and what a wonderful journey it has been. For an example, in the last two years, Dainty London has been:

  • Featured in British Vogue
  • Featured at London Fashion Week
  • Finalist for the Inspiring Independents Award 2019 which showcases the top 100 independent jewellery designers in the UK & Ireland, I was thrilled to make it into the top 5 in my first year of business!
  • Featured in Closer magazine
  • Featured in The Telegraph
  • Featured in Metro
  • Had my jewellery worn by a list of big influencers & celebrities… such as Sabrina Elba, Dress Like A Mum, Hunter & Heels, Blossoming Birds, The White Thistle, Cara Suthers, Pips Home, The Style Nurse, Alice In The Looking Glass, and Day in The Life of Laura
  • And KYLIE MINOGUE!... yup that’s right, this was very recent, so just waiting on the images to be made public.
  • Pop ups in John Lewis & partners
  • Featured in the Love my Dress bridal blog
  • Exhibited at Top Drawer at London Olympia (the UK’s biggest annual Tradeshow)
  • Selling with high street brand Joules
  • And Not On The High Street
  • Selling in Scottish department store House Of Bruar
  • All the while pregnant with my second baby & a young toddler to care for full time.

All of this started as a pipe dream and a new self-taught hobby.

Back then I had no idea where to start, so if like me you want to start a new jewellery making hobby but need that little bit of guidance then look no further.

If you are starting from scratch, then my first recommendation is learning to do silver clay. Silver clay is like a grown-up playdough but it is infused with tiny sterling silver particles. You can roll it, imprint it with leaves from the woods, acorns or even silicone moulds to create your own rings and pendants. Once you have moulded your design you leave it to dry and then use a blow torch to melt away the clay, this fuses the silver particles together and leaves you with a sterling silver creation. It is cheap to buy and the results are great. This is how I first started before moving onto more advanced bench skills such as soldering, using a jewellers saw and fusing.

Below is an entire list of my most recommended book, tools & equipment to buy…

 *affiliate links

I self-taught using all the above recommendations for around two years before I sought an intermediate evening course (I skipped the beginners’ courses because I had already covered the basics). This then progressed to a two-year course at the City Lit College in London & The Goldsmiths Centre.

I hope guide helps you in your new jewellery making hobby!!

Please tag us on Instagram as I would LOVE to see your designs! @dainty_london_jewellery

With love,

Jade x

Dainty London Jewellery

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