Gem Setting Course Has Begun

Since leaving university and completing my degree in 2008, I have worked as a sole practitioner, identifying myself as a contemporary jewellery artist. Throughout this journey, I have honed my jewellery-making skills, which has been an incredibly fulfilling experience, shaping my identity as a creator. However, despite my pride in my creations and the path I've taken, I find myself hesitant to fully embrace the label of "jeweller." I believe this hesitation stems from my perceived lack of expertise in areas such as engagement and wedding ring craftsmanship, as well as limited experience in gemstone-related techniques like stone setting and lost wax carving.

When I stumbled upon the course information at Melbourne Polytechnic, I enrolled right away. Yesterday evening marked our first class, where I had the pleasure of meeting my classmates and our teacher, Renee Pellizzaro. We began by crafting shellac sticks—small amounts of shellac melted from the tip of the stick using a torch onto a wooden holder. When heated, shellac becomes soft and malleable like putty, before hardening at room temperature. I am so looking forward to working on with it to set gemstone.

Next, we proceeded to craft the graver end to fit into the handle. This step felt like a significant milestone in setting stones. Equipped with our HSS flat and onglette gravers as instructed, we learned how to measure the right length for each handle. It was impressive to watch Renee slice the engraver's end using a ring stretcher and hammer. After grinding the ends of both gravers using a bench grinder, she demonstrated how to hammer the graver into the handle. I felt like a first-year student in school, both excited and nervous for the course I had been anticipating for a week. Struggling to insert the graver into the handle straight, I sought assistance from the teacher. A little embarrassed but who cares?

Shellac stick and graver with grounded ends

Onglette graver in the handle

It was such a great night. The school seemed to appear out of nowhere, but it was really impressive that several evening short courses were fully enrolled with students. There have been many eye-openers that continue to inspire me to learn something new, such as working for jewellers’ supplies and engaging with the community to gather course information. I hope to expand my knowledge and experience by creating something entirely new to me.