Irish Jewellery Design School

Cormac Cuffe has run his boutique jewellery school for over 40 years, working in sterling silver, the new fine silver clay and lead-free enamels. All new students make a piece of silver jewellery in their first class! Come along and learn how to use jewellery tools and start on your road to designing your own jewellery! All equipment is provided.

Cormac’s classes suit those starting from scratch or those with more experience who wish to upgrade their skills. Class sizes are kept small to allow Cormac to spend time with each student individually. The small workshop, which has space for only six students with basic equipment, are all under his personal supervision. The intention is to give an insight to designing and making handmade jewellery, to a student's own personal design. Students generally work in sterling silver and sometimes semi-precious stones.

Learn how to solder quickly to make your own chain or bracelet. Make the ring of your dreams and perhaps, with a little help from Cormac, set some semi- precious stones! Try the new exciting PMC (Precious Metal Clay), which is like shaping modelling clay, or try painting the fine silver on an organic material to make a unique piece or art! Learn to make your own moulds for the fine silver clay, before firing it in the kiln. Then add some enamel for colour! Recycle old/ broken hallmarked gold, possibly something from a loved one with silver, for everyday wear.

All classes can be adapted to suit an individual's particular need. Visitors to Ireland are most welcome to join the classes even for a short duration. The intention is that the classes will run virtually all year and may be joined at any time, on a monthly basis, depending on numbers and space in workshop.

Summer courses are held in Cormac's residence in Lagrasse in France, south of Carcassone.