Level 1: Introduction to Silver Metalsmithing

Duration: 3 hours per session, once a week for 8 weeks
Skill Level: Beginner
Goal: Learn essential tools, techniques, and safety procedures while completing one finished silver jewelry piece.

Week 1 — Introduction & Foundations

Theme: Getting to Know Your Tools & Materials

• Welcome & Safety Orientation 
• Studio rules, PPE, safe handling of tools & torches 
• Overview of tools: saws, pliers, hammers, files, bench pins, torches 
• Metals & materials introduction: sterling vs fine silver, gauges, wire vs sheet 
• Basic measuring & marking: calipers, rulers, templates 
• Sawing basics: loading saw frame, sawing straight lines 
• Hands-on: Practice sawing simple shapes in copper sheet 

Week 2 — Sawing & Filing Skills

Theme: Building Control & Precision

• Review saw setup & safety 
• Sawing practice: curves and interior cuts 
• Filing basics: types of files, filing strokes, maintaining flat edges 
• Sanding progression: coarse to fine abrasives 
• Hands-on: Saw and file copper practice shapes, develop clean edges 

Week 3 — Annealing & Forming

Theme: Softening & Shaping Metal

• Annealing: theory and demo (why heat softens metal) 
• Torch safety refresher 
• Introduction to forming tools: dapping blocks, mandrels, mallets 
• Hammering techniques for shaping and texturing 
• Hands-on: Anneal and shape copper practice pieces using forming tools and hammer 

Week 4 — Introduction to Soldering

Theme: Joining Metals with Fire

• Solder types & when to use each (easy, medium, hard) 
• Flux, pickle solution, and cleaning metals post-soldering 
• Torch flame control: heating evenly, avoiding overheating 
• Demo: solder a basic joint on copper/brass 
• Hands-on: Practice soldering copper/brass pieces 

Week 5 — Soldering Silver

Theme: Applying Soldering Skills to Silver

• Review soldering basics 
• Preparing silver pieces for soldering 
• Hands-on: Solder silver ring band or pendant components 
• Cleaning and pickling soldered pieces 
• Troubleshooting common soldering issues 

Week 6 — Refining & Assembly

Theme: From Rough to Refined

• Shaping and sizing silver rings or pendants 
• Filing and sanding progression to prepare for finishing 
• Surface finishes: polished, matte, brushed, hammered 
• Optional: simple decorative stamping or light texture work 
• Hands-on: Work on personal project to refine and decorate 

Week 7 — Finishing Techniques

Theme: Polishing & Stone Setting Basics

• Polishing wheels and compounds overview 
• Hand polishing techniques 
• Optional intro to bezel setting for cabochon stones 
• Cleaning and care of silver jewelry 
• Hands-on: Polish finished pieces, set stone if applicable 

Week 8 — Final Touches & Presentation

Theme: Show & Tell, Review, and Next Steps

• Final polish and inspection of pieces 
• Mini Show & Tell: students share their finished work 
• Review key techniques and skills 
• Q&A, resources for continuing practice and tools 
• Course wrap-up and celebration 

Outcome after 8 weeks:

• Mastery of fundamental silversmithing techniques including sawing, filing, annealing, forming, soldering, finishing 
• Completion of at least one finished sterling silver jewelry piece (ring or pendant) 
• Confidence using studio tools, torch, and materials safely and effectively