07855 768017
info@bench-space.com
Unit 47, The Shipyard Estate, Brightlingsea, CO7 0AR
BENCHspace Silver School
Because making matters…
BENCHspace is a silversmithing and jewellery workshop that offers you the opportunity to come and make your very own silver jewellery in your own unique style.
Taster Sessions
BENCHspace offers a range of taster sessions and courses to build up your skill set with step-by-step expert tuition, enabling you to spend some creative ‘you’ time in our fully equipped workshop.
Taster sessions are a perfect gift for those extra special celebrations – including birthdays, anniversaries, hen parties, bridal parties, (to make bridesmaid, best man, bride and groom gifts) Corporate away days, Team Building and more.
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’m Karen, a silversmith with over 25 years of experience in designing, making & teaching.
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
![[BENCH] space](https://bench-space.com/wp-content/uploads/sb-instagram-feed-images/benchspacesilverschool.jpg)
We’ve just listed some more dates for our stone-setting workshops with Marlies White for 2024.
If you missed out last time, head over to our website and book your spot.
There are three different classes:
1) Introduction to setting - making tube settings.
2) Making collet settings with a bezel block. (Pictured)
3) Setting fancy cut stones (not round/ oval).
It’s best to complete the classes in that order as it gets a bit more challenging as you go along….
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It’s gift making season.
Our BENCHspacers are putting their skills to great use and making wonderful handmade jewellery for all their friends and family this year.
It’s so satisfying giving a handmade gift and it means so much more to the person receiving it, knowing that you made it especially for them.
There’ll be lots of happy faces on Christmas Day. Well done folks!
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Setting cabochon stones is a project we teach on our 8 week courses.
A cabochon stone is the name of how the stone is cut. It describes a flat back stone with a domed top surface.
To set them into jewellery you need to make a bezel (which is a ring that fits around the stone) and solder this onto your base to push over holding the stone in place.
If it’s quite a large cabochon you can cut a design out of the base plate. This adds more interest to the back of the piece and therefore great for pendants. It also makes the piece lighter in weight plus you get the positive shape out that you can also incorporate into the design of this or another piece of jewellery.
Here Emma is cutting out a swift bird silhouette for the back of her pendant that will set a beautiful Chrysocolla blue/green cabochon.
We look forward to seeing it soon.
Well done @emtodd10 !
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We (surprisingly) have some spaces for our spinner ring workshop this coming Saturday…
Saturday 9th December (10am-4pm)
You can choose on the day if you’d like to make a spinner / meditation ring (pictured) or a set of 4 different stacking rings. Spend a full day with us in the workshop learning traditional hand skills to make your ring in your own style and made in any size you choose.
You will learn how to form, texture, measure, cut, solder and set a small gemstone.
You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!
Book via website bench-space.com
3 spaces available.
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No-eye-deer (bad pun alert) what to get your beloved this year?
Give them the gift of making their own amazing jewellery…
Why will they love it?
Because they made it themselves…
Gift vouchers available at bench-space.com for any class or course and valid for 12 months.
P.S..Or treat yourself instead because you’ve probably done all the preparation for Christmas and that means you’ve earnt a treat.
P.P.S..Hammer therapy is a thing ⚒️ and you may need some soon…
Look at all these gorgeous rings made this morning…
Many thanks to the great bunch of people who visited BENCHspace this morning!
I hope that you’ll all enjoy wearing them.
This silver ring workshop runs on the first weekend in every month. Dates are on the website up until June so book ahead to secure your bench space at bench-space.com
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Happy Sunday folks! It’s cold and windy outside so today is perfect for hunkering down in your creative space and enjoying some making time…
When my beginners start their courses it’s always so exciting to hear when they start to buy their own tools.
The biggie is when they’ve got their own bench, that’s when their space has been claimed and the commitment made. After that the fun begins.
It is however slightly ( very) addictive and tools can be expensive but you’ll never be bored again!
That’s a promise.
There’s always so much to learn and it’s not easy to master- lots of scrap can be generated on the way to mastery… but it’s cheaper than therapy and will definitely keep you very busy.
Plus, you get to wear lots of amazing jewellery that you’ve made yourself -
so it’s a win win situation.
Ask Santa for some tools this year- who needs another handbag #amirightladies
I’m off to teach a silver ring workshop this morning, so expect photos later 🤩
Enjoy making!
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Look at all these amazing chains we made on the bracelet taster session today!
The weather was cold and grey with freezing fog outside but we were too busy to notice…
They looked amazing on, well done everyone and enjoy wearing them!
👌👏👍⚒️😘
Many thanks to @thesilverwallop for her marvellous assistance today xx
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Beautiful hand carved spinner ring finished, polished and then oxidised on last nights class.
Well done @magpie_metalsmith, filing skills levelled up !
Our beginners course ended a couple of weeks ago but my lovely students have been sharing what they’ve making at home since…
It’s so nice to see people gain in confidence and to try new ideas on their own. This is where the real learning takes place. I look forward to seeing them again in January for level 2 !
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Saturday 9th December (10am-4pm)
Come and join us in our cosy workshop by the sea and make fabulous spinner or stacking rings to wear home with pride….
4 spaces available.
Book online at bench-space.com
You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!
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Some recent jewellery from our lovely BENCHspacers…
Well done folks, they’re looking fabulous!
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Casting stones set in place in the mould using delft clay…
using stamps to give some pattern to the surface. Creating a bezel using tube and creating claws with an embossing tool.
Come and make your own fabulous silver link bracelet at the BENCHspace workshop.
Treat yourself ! Toot toot …
A few photos from Saturdays sand casting workshop.
Playing with delft clay, making moulds, melting and pouring metal then waiting for the big reveal… has it worked?
Too much tension- and the excitement when it does is real…😂 eh @luyava !
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This is what it’s all about with sand casting- the great reveal and the thrill of getting a great cast!
We had a great time yesterday on our full day workshop, learning how to make moulds and casting stones in place. Well done everyone!
It was so lovely to spend the day with you all and seeing what you made….
Some of our rings from last night’s session… (I didn’t get to photograph them all).
Some great skills learnt in these little rings. How to make patterned wire, how to make nice even shot plate accents from scrap silver, how to solder the bezel cups and accents onto the rings and after polishing; how to set the little cabochon stones in the cups.
Lots to do on a Friday evening 😁⚒️
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Using our @geminaltd dies this week with a new crimping tool…
Testing to see the best way of getting a deep, crisp impression from this great little hydraulic tool. It’s much better (less effort for a deeper impression) than hammering and if you have no more space for a hydraulic press then this is a great solution. Gemina also sell the tool adapters for the shot plate dies.
Made in the U.K. and 15% off today
(no affiliation to us- just a great product!)
I’ve made two of these lovely Celtic hearts and will then file, sand them level and solder them together to make a nice little double sided silver charm.
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I’m looking forward to our sand casting workshop on Saturday!
One of the oldest metalsmithing techniques from the Bronze Age allows you to cast shapes from molten metal by pouring into ready prepared moulds made from specially prepared sand.
We’ll be learning all the techniques of casting silver into delft clay moulds to get the best pour. Including how to cast in place sparkly gemstones, how to cast multiples and also how to add texture and pattern to your designs.
We’ll be covering all the basics from how to set up your casting area, preparing your crucible and how to achieve the best results from your tools.
Plus it’s always fun melting metal!
2 spaces still available…
Book online at bench-space.com.
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