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
Our March Masterclass was mould making with silver clay…
Brilliant work from everyone, learning a new technique to experiment with and some finished pieces to take home! Many happy hours ahead to hone your techniques 👌
Many thanks to @thesilverwallop for her expertise and brilliant mould making skills x
#silverclay #silverclayworkshop #silverclayjewellery #benchspacejewelleryclasses #benchspacesilverschool
Our beginners have well and truly got started…
…and this is what they made!
Well done folks and looking forward to more adventures in metal soon with you all ⚒️👏
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #benchspacesilverschool #handmadejewellery #jewelleryworkshop #jewellerymaker #benchspacejewellery #jewellerybeginner #
Making your bangles wiggle….⬇️
A nice fancy effect to bangles is to use a hoop and die press to give them a wavy profile. It’s easy to do with the correct tools.
Yes, you can use a hydraulic press and although I have one in the workshop it’s actually quicker and easier for my beginning guests to press it in the bench vice. (Due to the fact that my press is tucked away due to lack of space and the bench vices are there and ready to use.)
You can also hammer it hard with a brass mallet to get the same effect.
So one tool and 3️⃣ different ways of using it…
… depending on what workshop tools you have at your disposal and how much physical energy you have to use them.
All of them require adequate pressure to squash the wire between the 2 steel plates to take on the shape of the dies.
💪⚒️👌 perfect!
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #handmadejewellery #jewelleryworkshop #benchspacesilverschool #jewellerybeginner #jewellerymakers #hoopanddie #silverbangles
That’s the way to do it…. Lots at once!
These stones haven’t been set yet but looked so pretty on the BENCHspace benchpeg.
Well done @beeatshellards, who loves her gemstones!
Looking forward to seeing them finished next Tuesday evening in class 👌
Beautiful amethyst.
Another great basket setting made by Matt in our evening class 🤘🤩👏.
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #benchspacesilverschool #handmadejewellery #jewelleryworkshop #jewellerymaker #jewellerymakersofinstagram
Reposted from @fryrsquared :
It’s not a “fake diamond” it’s a REAL ZIRCON. And that is better in every way.
Hadean age for a post-magma-ocean zircon confirmed by atom-probe tomography, by John W.
Valley et al (2014)
Meditation rings, fidget rings, spinner rings….
Great to keep anxious hands busy.
Call them what you like but they’re great for nail biting, skin picking and that meeting you have to attend!
Two lovely little spinner rings made this morning by Sally… 👌
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #handmadejewellery #jewelleryworkshop #silverringshandmade
What a productive day on our silver earrings and pendant workshop:
9 pendants
2 charms
6 pairs earrings and
3 pairs of hoop earrings
All made by our 8 lovely guests to take home !
Our taster sessions are a brilliant way to spend time together being creative and making fabulous jewellery to wear home with pride.
A different taster session every weekend.
Visit bench-space.com for more info… 👩💻
Want to learn jewellery making but can’t fit in a weekly course due to work/ shift patterns/ life commitments etc?
Join our three day summer school to kickstart your jewellery making journey…. July 11-13th
More info on our website at bench-space.com
This is an exercise in soldering, a skill that so many people struggle with.
This project teaches you so much more than just soldering but by the end of it everyone feels a huge sense of accomplishment.
There are easier projects …. But once you’ve made this you can then make all the other easier bracelets with bigger links in any design… why?
Because you’ve made this difficult one first. 💪🤟🏼
#benchspacesilverschool #chainmaking #handmadechain
A few pieces finished in last night’s class (level 3) and they look stunning… beautiful stones in bezel settings made by this lovely lot!
#cabochon #stonesettingclass #benchspacesilverschool #jewellerymakingclasses #jewellerymakingclass
It’s our Marmite project… you either love it or hate it!
Level 2 is all about technical skills, and this project is about radial forging. Hammering with accuracy.
Ear defenders are helpful 🎧
Our lovely Friday morning group will be finishing their forged bangles off this week and wearing them with pride.
Prong settings were being practised last week on our level 3 course.
It takes some patience to solder tiny bits of wire exactly in place and our students are doing well!
The last few pics are from our Tuesday evening BENCHspacers who have been practising this and setting gorgeous faceted stones…
#benchspacesilverschool #stonesettingclass
#Repost @creativesparksworkshop with @use.repost
・・・
The best way to spend International Women’s Day? Surrounded by a group of beautifully creative women at @benchspacesilverschool for their stacker ring/spinner ring workshop!
This workshop had been on my wish list for so long, and I was lucky enough to grab a last-minute spot thanks to the lovely Karen and Kitty. Originally, I planned to make a spinner ring with stars (because I’m always fidgeting with my rings and pendants, especially when I’m in the zone), but once I got started, my vision completely changed…
Instead of a spinner, I created four individual stacker rings—perfect for my fibro days when big rings feel too much. Naturally, I leaned into my love for the sea, waves, and coastal textures, something that always finds its way into my work. There’s something so calming and therapeutic about ocean-inspired designs, and it felt right to bring that into these rings.
I also incorporated barnacles and shells, a little nod to my nickname, and set a blue goldstone—chosen not just for its deep, starry shimmer but also for its properties of ambition, confidence, and motivation (very fitting for a Leo like me!).
Such a wonderful experience, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the day! I have come home already thinking about which taster I would like to do next and whether have time to enrol on the Level 1 course, with all the other plans I have in the coming months! #benchspacesilverschool #benchspacejewelleryclasses #internationalwomensday
Check out our new classes …
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #jewelleryworkshop #handmadejewellery #benchspacesilverschool #jewellerymaker #jewellerymakers #jewellerybeginner #silverringshandmade
No more books!
No, more books!
(…..so confusing 😂)
As it’s World book day (or Wild book day as my daughter always understood it to be) I thought I’d post some of my current reads and some recommendations.
The library at BENCHspace Towers is always growing and the chances are if you’re making something, I have a book on it.
Like gemstones and tools, books are an essential thing that must be bought and cherished. I have lots of all of these things and love them all.
Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to win the George Greenough Trophy (from National Association of Jewellers) when I was studying for my qualifications and was awarded a substantial book prize along with a massive silver trophy presented at Goldsmiths Hall !
This kickstarted my large collection of jewellery related books that my students now get to peruse. (I just need more shelves as they are currently stacked under tables as there’s no more room).
Technical jewellery books are expensive as they are so niche but it’s a small price to pay for the years of experimentation that the author put in to refining their craft and being generous enough to explain it (with pictures) in a way that we can learn new processes and techniques.
What books are you reading or find really useful?
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #handmadejewellery #jewelleryworkshop #jewelleryworkshopbooks #jewellerybeginner
Chain making… soldering top tips 🤘
Silver soldering requires the metal to get to soldering temperature so that the solder will flow between the join. (You don’t heat the solder that then melts into the join….it’s the other way round).
We use hard solder for nearly everything as it allows you to make multiple joins near to each other, without unsoldering the work you’ve already done.
Hard solder relates to the melting point of the solder, not the level of difficulty to use. The solders in order from high to low are: enamelling, hard, medium, easy and extra easy. Easy solder is not necessarily easier to use.
✅ Hard solder gives you good control, good colour and strong joints.
When you’re soldering two pieces together they need to get to the same temperature at the same time as solder always flows to the heat. When soldering jump rings, you’ve got to get both ends to same temperature . If you have a pair of locking tweezers holding one side this will act as a heat sink and so one side will get hotter and the solder will go towards the heat and away from the join.
If you hold the jump rings by the rings either side of it (as in the photo) and go in nice and low with your flame across the top of the ring, (don’t point it down so that you’re heating the rings below as you’ll solder them together) then you’ll find it easier to do and the solder will go nicely along the join.
✅ Also, use a hot flame and go in close so that the end of the blue cone is on the job.
✅ Go in fast and hot and get out as soon as the solder has run.
No dallying around…
#solderingtips #solderingtipsandtricks #benchspacesilverschool #jewellerymakingclasses
A beautiful sunny Sunday making these brilliant rings!
Many thanks to our lovely visitors this morning who now have some fabulous new jewellery made by their own clever hands 🙌🏼 👏⚒️
#silverringworkshop #silverringshandmade #benchspacejewelleryclasses #lookwhatimadetoday
Repost from @laura.lulu_creative:
The perfect Sunday well spent @benchspacesilverschool with my bestie. Time to switch off whilst making the most beautiful silver rings under expert tuition. Will definitely be booking another session. Rounded off the day in the sun, sitting by Brightlingsea harbour with some wonderful food. Refreshed ready for another busy week X X x
#benchspacejewelleryclasses #jewelleryworkshop #jewellerybeginner #silverringshandmade
Our jewellery design students are really coming up with some great work, lots of fun experimenting with ideas in metal and seeing where their curiosity leads them.
#jewellerydesignideas #artstudents #benchspacejewelleryclasses #artistjewellers
