BENCHspace ...because making matters
creativity, community, craft
BENCHspace is a silversmithing and jewellery workshop that offers you the opportunity to come and make bespoke jewellery in your own unique style.

Taster Sessions
BENCHspace offers a range of taster sessions, courses and masterclasses to build up your skill set with step-by-step expert tuition, enabling you to spend some creative ‘me’ time in our fully equipped workshop. For all abilities, from absolute beginner to competent jeweller.
Taster sessions are a perfect gift for those special celebrations – including birthdays, anniversaries, hen parties, bridal parties, (to make bridesmaid, best man, bride and groom gifts) corporate away days, team building and creative time with friends.
Great for friends and family
Bring your friends and family to share your special occasion, creating amazing jewellery to wear home with pride and great memories to share.
Your Expert Instructor
Karen Cooke
I have over 30 years of experience in the jewellery trade and am a fully qualified teacher, silversmith and jeweller and have taught all ages and abilities over the years. I look forward to supporting you in all your making adventures.

In the last 12 months


Why Choose Us
Here are a few reasons
- Enjoy learning in our fully equipped jewellery workshop.
- Each person has their own jewellers’ bench with full set of tools.
- Make your own amazing jewellery to fit perfectly in your own unique style!
Testimonials
What people are saying
Jun 25

We’re finishing up our L3 course with some prong settings…
…a great way to set all types, cuts and sizes of stones from large cabochons to small faceted stones.
Most of these are a still in progress and I look forward to seeing them all shiny and sparkly soon.
These set stones were made by fabulous Melanie on our Tuesday evening class 👏👏
#benchspacesilverschool #stonesetting #stonesettingclass #prongsetting
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Jun 23

Beautiful Labradorite pendant by @gailparkes1 finished this week on the L3 course.
A brilliant bold statement design and it looks amazing in the light with all those flashing colours!
Well done 👏
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Jun 22

Brilliant concentration from all our lovely students today learning the subtle art of flush setting…
They did amazingly well and all left with a little flush set sparkly silver pendant to wear with pride.
Many thanks as ever to @marlieswhite for her expertise and patience 👏👌!
#benchspacesilverschool #benchspacejewelleryclasses #jewelleryworkshop #handmadejewellery #jewellerymakersofinstagram #flushsetting #flushset
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Jun 22

jewellery classes for all abilities.
Creativity with community and connection.
You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve .
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #benchspacesilverschool #jewelleryworkshop #jewellerymaker #jewellerymakers #jewellerybeginner #jewellerymakersofinstagram
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Jun 21

If you always wondered what Pi was about in your maths class at school, you definitely find out if you need to make a ring (especially 3 rings interlinked)…
Our L2 technical skills course includes a Russian wedding ring as they can be really tricky to make exactly the right size.
We concentrate on taking our measuring skills back to basics and drawing wire down into a half round profile, before making our calculations to get the size just right.
Richard finished this beauty in last night’s evening class and hand polished it to a brilliant shine ✨.
#benchspacesilverschool #jewellerymakingskills #beginnersjewellery #handmadejewelleryuk #russianweddingring
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Jun 21

Come and make your own jewellery in your own style with expert step by step tuition.
Made by you, for you. Gift yourself some creative time and some new jewellery.
Plus you get to hit things with hammers ⚒️!
Perfect.
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Jun 18

Loving the new tool box @merseaframing
Think you may have started the second wave of #toolboxenvy ⚒️
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Jun 15

A few pics from our brilliant bangles & cuffs taster session yesterday. Expert tuition guiding you through making your own jewellery in your own style.
This lovely group of friends come together to make wonderful jewellery to wear everyday. They made spinner/ stacking rings last time, I wonder what they’ll make next?
If you have a group of at least 6 people book your own session with us and spend a creative day with your favourite people.
#jewellerymakingworkshops #jewellerymakingworkshop #jewellerymaker #benchspacesilverschool
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Jun 14

#friendshipgoals… it was our pleasure to host a special bunch of friends making fabulous jewellery together today. ⬇️⬇️
Bangles & cuffs; stamped, textured, soldered, twisted, hammered, rolled and polished!
Well done folks! We hope you enjoy wearing them x
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #benchspacesilverschool #jewelleryworkshop #handmadejewellery #jewellerymakers #benchspacejewellery #bangles #handmadebangles
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Jun 14

This lovely Peruvian Opal necklace finished on our L3 course by @joanne.locke73. A real showstopper piece tied with a black ribbon bow. Her first stone-set piece of jewellery and navigating some tricky techniques .
Well done Jo, fabulous!
#benchspacesilverschool #handmadejewellerymaker #statementsilverjewelry #handfabricatedjewelry
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Jun 13

#festivalvibes #sharpietattoo #benchspacejewelleryclasses #benchspacebabes ...
Jun 13

Taster session goals! Spinner rings made with love…. ⚒️🤩
#spinnerring #benchspacesilverschool #jewellerymakingclasses #handmadewithlove❤️
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Jun 11

Our lovely L1 students are starting to make their own designs this week. We are looking forward to seeing what ideas they come up with !
#jewellerycourses #jewellerymakers #benchspacesilverschool #jewellerybeginnerscourse
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Jun 8

The more classes you do, the more you learn…
Our lovely BENCHspacer @amandakestell lives a long way from us and travels a fair distance to come to our classes. She can only come on a weekend session and so makes the most of every visit. She came on our spinner/ stacking workshop yesterday and already knows how to make these, so we decided on a much more difficult version.
A channel set ring with a thick patterned half round wire made from melted silver scrap, cast into wire, swaged & patterned by hand.
The really tricky bit (aside from all the measurements and maths calculations to get the exact fitting of the wires spot on) is the last solder join and making sure that the solder hasn’t traveled too far and soldered the spinning ring together by using rouge powder mix.
Then it’s a file off of the ends and a polish. 👌
This chunky spinner ring looks ace so well done Mandy!
We always push your skill set, wherever you’re at.
You can do our classes over and over and make more difficult things each time as we stretch your learning with new skills you probably haven’t known about. There’s always new tools and techniques that you’ve not yet come across
So make the most of in-person classes and don’t believe everything you see on the internet 🙄.
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #spinnerringworkshops #handmadejewelleryuk
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Jun 7

From this to …….fabulous 🤩⚒️
Well done to all our brilliant makers today who transformed some plain silver wire and sheet into splendid spinners and stackers.
👏👌👍
#benchspacesilverschool #benchspacejewelleryclasses #jewellerymaker #jewelleryworkshop #silverringshandmade #spinnerrings #stackingrings
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Jun 7

There’s always something interesting happening in the workshop…
In typical teacher fashion I’m usually too engrossed in what’s happening to remember to take many photos!
A few snaps from this week’s BENCHspacers, lots going on and so many different projects on the go …
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Jun 5

Creating with connection and being part of our little community where friendships are forged and new delights discovered.
Weekend taster sessions, weekly courses and monthly masterclasses. Jewellery making for all abilities to take you as far as you want to go….
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #handmadejewellery #jewelleryworkshop #jewellerymaker #jewellerybeginner #jewellerymakersofinstagram #silverringshandmade
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Jun 5

I managed to finish some silver leaf pendants from the botanicals workshop.
An ivy and a hawthorn leaf; ivy symbolises friendship, fidelity and immortality whilst the May leaf is for fertility, protection against witchcraft and a traditional part of the ancient pagan May Day celebrations in Spring for regrowth and rebirth.
There’s a new date on the website for this botanicals masterclass exploring natural textures and organic forms on 05.10.25 (it’s not a taster session so some prior experience is required).
These hand fabricated leaves will be for sale at the Tendring Show on 12th July where we have a stand. If you’re visiting the show do come and say hi 👋! We’ll have lots to see and some hands on stuff to demo and amazing student work to showcase!
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #benchspacesilverschool #handmadejewellery #jewellerymakersofinstagram #jewellerymakers
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Jun 5

Spaces (unusually) available on Sunday 29th June for our ever popular spinner/stackers workshop.
Make your own bespoke proper jewellery in a professional workshop with expert tuition!
You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve ⚒️.
Browse and book at bench-space.com
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Jun 4

Call me sentimental but it’s just so much nicer to come and make your own wedding rings with your beloved than buying them from a shop…
We offer two options for making your own wedding rings with us, both offer expert tuition and brilliant outcomes.
1) You can join us on our 3 hour group workshop (run on the first weekend of every month) and you make your own designs- hand stamped (if you wish) with letters, numbers and /or symbols and hand textured with a variety of hammers- in silver. £69 pp
Lots of couples opt for this excellent cost effective way to make their own rings!
2) Private hire of the workshop for the day to make your own designs in gold or silver following a consultation to decide exactly what you’ll make and to order the gold (gold is ordered specially to your requirements and is extra). £100 consultation fee and £200 workshop fee, plus bullion fee. You’ll get private hire of the workshop to craft your own bespoke rings. (Hallmarking/ engraving/ flush setting diamonds/ gemstones extra if required.)
Visit bench-space.com for more details.
You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #makeyourownwedddingrings #handmadejewellery #jewelleryworkshop #handmaderings #handmadeweddingrings
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