06/19/2026
WIRE PRONGS:�Learn how to make your own.
Most jewelers start with commercial prong settings. They work, they're convenient, and at some point they stop being enough. This class is for when you're ready to make your own.
Wire prong settings give you complete control over the look and scale of a setting. You have the freedom to choose the wire gauge, the number of prongs, the height, the silhouette. You can build exactly what the stone needs instead of adapting to what's available. Once you know how to fabricate them, commercial settings start to feel like a shortcut you no longer have to take.
Over two days, you'll learn to fabricate basket settings, reverse basket settings, and the classic four-prong Tiffany-style setting with and without gallery wires. You'll also learn how to choose the right wire gauge for different stone sizes, how to prep a setting correctly before you set the stone, and how to finish everything cleanly once it's done.
The goal of this class is to understand how prong settings actually work so you can make or adapt them to anything you design going forward.
In-Person + Online�Saturday – Sunday, August 1 – 2�10:00AM – 5:00PM PT
Register here�https://www.silverajewelry.com/classes/w/ID/805/eventID/9272/details.asp
Wire Prongs
In the wide world of stone setting, prongs take on many forms. In this class, explore fabricating and setting a variety of wire prong settings that you can adapt and customize to suit your individual style and aesthetic. In this class, we will learn how to make traditional basket settings as wel...
06/15/2026
Designing with Intention: Aligning Gem, Alloy, and Setting Choices: Because Beautiful Work Deserves to Last
There's a difference between a piece that looks right and a piece that is right. Getting there requires understanding not just how materials behave at the bench, but why and how those properties play out over years of wear.
This two-session online class with guest instructor Christine Dwane bridges gemology and metalsmithing in a way that most jewelry education doesn't. You'll come away with a clear, practical framework for pairing gemstones with the right alloys, choosing settings that protect both the stone and the design, and understanding what hardness, toughness, and stability actually mean in real-world conditions.
Common assumptions get challenged. The things you thought you knew about gem durability, metal behavior, and setting choices get examined more carefully. What you're left with is the kind of working knowledge that changes how you approach every design decision going forward.
Online
Fridays, July 17 – July 24
10:00AM – 12:00PM PT
Register Here
https://www.silverajewelry.com/classes/w/ID/897/eventID/9276/details.asp
Designing with Intention: Aligning Gem, Alloy, and Setting Choices
In jewelry design, beauty is only half the story — the other half is engineering. This lecture format focused class bridges gemology and metalsmithing to help you make informed, intentional design decisions that respect both material and craft. You’ll develop a practical understanding of gemston...
06/14/2026
Digital 3D Modeling with Gabriel Mo: Design Jewelry Faster, Test Ideas Before Cutting Metal, Print Perfect Multiples
Digital modeling is expanding what's possible in jewelry making. With Rhino 3D software, you can test proportions before wasting materials, create complex organic forms that would take hours to fabricate, make perfect multiples for production, and send files to 3D printing services to get wax models or finished pieces delivered to your door.
Over eight weeks, Gabriel Mo walks you through Rhinoceros 3D from the ground up. You'll learn to navigate the digital workspace, create jewelry forms (rings, bracelets, pendants, stone settings), prepare models for 3D printing, troubleshoot files, use commercial printing services, work with SubD tools for organic forms, and create renderings of your designs.
Why digital modeling matters:
Test designs and proportions virtually before cutting expensive metal
Create complex forms faster than hand fabrication
Generate perfect multiples for production or batch work
Modify existing designs easily without starting over
Send files to 3D printing services for wax models or direct metal printing
Collaborate with clients using accurate digital previews
Build a library of reusable design elements
You'll use Rhino 8 (90-day free trial available), and you only need basic computer comfort to start.
Online
Thursdays, August 13 - October 1
4:00PM - 7:00PM PT
Register here
https://www.silverajewelry.com/classes/w/ID/687/eventID/9359/details.asp
Digital 3D Modeling
Take your first steps into the world of computer-aided design! Using freely available software, we will explore the possibilities of digital 3D modeling as a tool for metalsmithing and jewelry design – from laying out and testing ideas to creating finished models and preparing them for 3D printing...
