All of the jewellery I currently have available for sale is listed in my shop here and here - it is all designed from the idea of tactile jewels - jewellery to play with, fiddle with and to hold.

The jewels available include; - 

• my original Mindful Jewels collection - made from hand carved soapstone, with various other mediums, including handmade Kumihimo (Japanese braiding) cords
• the Fiddlers collection of hand carved / cast solid silver pendants hanging on Kumihimo (Japanese braiding) cords
• the new collection of bead charm Fiddlers - bright silver rings, pendants and bangles with moving beads - a bright and sparkling mix of textures and movement just ready to brighten up your day
• my Darkness and Light collection of rings, bangles and earrings that focus on contrasting tones and abstract textures and patterns to intrigue and entice - using patina and gemstones to give a unique style

SPECIAL OFFER FOR JANUARY
Visit my shop here - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PennyAkester?ref=hdr_shop_menu and use code WINTERWARMER to get 15% off any purchases made before 1 February 2017.

Well i love my tools, and I often get questions from students about different tools, so I thought i could share some here.

One of the most useful tool for a jeweller that does any metalwork, wax carving or other similar work is a bench peg - this is a piece of wood that is clamped to your desk or table and used to support your work.

A Bench Peg - How does it help?
You can cut the peg with different shaped notches to allow you to do different tasks. Most people cut a V shape into them - this can be used when cutting metal - your metal sits across the peg - supported on each side of the V, and you can cut in the slot.

You can rest your work on the peg to support it while you are filing, drilling, sanding, polishing or shaping it - being able to support your piece while you work allows you much more control and to be able to put more pressure and work more efficiently. Using a peg rather than the edge of a table allows you free-er access to be able to work at different angles, and is easily replaceable when it wears out.

By cutting smaller slots or drilling holes through the peg, you can use it to wedge or hold your work - and to allow you to position things at useful angles for you.

You can get a variety of bench pegs from any jewellery supplies store - you can get plain pegs, ones with shapes ready cut out, or you can get them with their own clamps, including ones that incorporate a steel block, which is another very useful tool. Some jewellers benches incorporate a specially made slot to accomodate a peg, but you can clamp a peg onto any table or bench, allowing you extra flexibility, especially if working at home.

 I offer a range of scheduled one day and short courses aimed at anyone interested in either trying jewellery making for the first time, or for more experienced jewellers looking to extend their dkills.

I teach from my studio in central London, where I have a bright space that will comfortably fit up to 4 students at a time - this small group size ensures I can pay personal attention to each student throughout the class, but students still get to share ideas and benefit from working as a small group as well.

Bead stringing is one of the key skills for a jeweller...
How many times have you wondered if you can mend or re-do a broken necklace? In this one day class, we will cover a variety of key skills for anyone looking to make their own bead jewellery, or to replair broken necklaces and bracelets.

Suitable for anyone - experienced metalworkers or crafts people interested in adding to their skills, or complete beginners alike.

This course will cover designing and professionally stringing a necklace, including securely attaching a clasp, as well as making simple earrings and two different styles of bracelet. Students will then get to choose from a range of other options including different styles of necklaces and earrings.

We will also talk about different types of findings, different beads and where to buy them.

Students will all leave with a complete set of jewellery and new skills to add to their repertoire, ready to go home and start making more unique jewellery of their own.

This course is next running on Monday 3 April and can be booked here - http://www.pennyakester.co.uk/store/p38/Bead_Stringing_Essentials_-_One_Day_Jewellery_Making_Class.html

 I offer a range of scheduled one day and short courses aimed at anyone interested in either trying jewellery making for the first time, or for more experienced jewellers looking to extend their dkills.

I teach from my studio in central London, where I have a bright space that will comfortably fit up to 4 students at a time - this small group size ensures I can pay personal attention to each student throughout the class, but students still get to share ideas and benefit from working as a small group as well.

Added new this month - I have added a weekly evening course to my schedule...
Evening courses are now running on Thursday evenings, from 6.15-9.15pm and will run in blocks of 4 weeks (12 hours of tuition per block).

This course is designed to expand students basic metal workshop skills - working with silver, copper or brass, but also incorporating a variety of other mediums as well, such as plastics and textiles.

Beginners will start by working through a series of technical exercises and projects that will introduce basic metal forming, cutting and joining skills - for example making a textured and patterned ring band or bangle, before moving on to more individual projects. 

Intermediate students will work on personal projects, linked to the theme, with my full support and guidance. We will work through the process of designing jewels, using sketchbooks and technical journals, through to model making and creating the pieces.

The next block of evenings starts on Thursday 16 February, with a theme of repeating patterns, and you can book here http://www.pennyakester.co.uk/store/p45/NEW_-_Regular_Thursday_Evening_Course%21.html

This blog is going to be a mix of different articles - aiming to be a mix of interesting hints and tips for my jewellery making students (and anyone else interested in making their own jewellery), as well as an insight into my own jewellery making process, inspiration and ideas.
Do let me know how i'm doing - or if there are any questions you have or topics that would be interesting for me to cover here!