Beginner Class

Today, when most of us think of chain mail, we think of chivalric knights and the crusades. The truth is chain mail started with the Celts a millennium or so before that. The Romans used and adapted it to their armour and it gave them further protection from those nasty barbarians.

Today these ancient chain mail techniques are used to create unique and stunning pieces of jewellery.

Using the minimum of tools, your tutor Tania McLean will guide you through the intricacies of this once ancient craft.

This intensive day will start by learning the correct way to open and close rings seamlessly, following on with looking at the first basic chain (2 in 2). This basic chain will give you the foundation for many weaves in the future.

We will then go on to learn the versatile and beautiful parallel chain (or helm chain). This is an easy chain to start getting used to using rings with a larger aspect ratio. (Aspect ratio, an important part of chain making, will be covered fully in this course).

The afternoon will be spent covering the deceptively intricate Byzantine link chain and its variations. You will learn the Olivia variation, a lovely style for bracelets, the Romanov link, which is perfect for pendants.

The day will finish with looking at the best ways of polishing your newly created pieces and the finishes used.

At the end of the day you will be proficient with the Parallel, Byzantine and Box chain weaves and be confident to move on to the more intricate weaves.

This one day course is approximately £45-50 depending upon the venue. Plus materials (see below)

For £35.00 you will receive a complete starter kit, this includes pliers, a working mat, tips and techniques handouts, fully illustrated instructions to take home, and enough copper rings and clasps to complete all of the projects covered in today's class.

Additional kits in sterling silver and gold fill will be available for purchase on the day