Bezel Ring Fabrication & Setting – 5 Day

Join Andrew Pickering for a 5 day course to create a stone set ring.

Location: The Centre
Duration: 5 days
Level: Beginner–Intermediate (confident hobbyists welcome)

Course Overview

This hands-on intensive course introduces students to the fundamentals of bezel ring fabrication and stone setting. Over five days, participants will learn how to fabricate custom bezels and rings from silver sheet and wire, set both round and shaped stones, and complete their pieces to a professional finish.

There is ample scope during the course to produce multiple finished pieces, depending on individual pace and design choices.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Fabricate a bezel setting from silver sheet for both round and shaped stones
• Design and construct an appropriate ring shank from wire to suit a fabricated bezel
• Accurately fit, solder and assemble bezel and shank components
• Prepare jewellery for polishing, including surface finishing techniques
• Set stones securely into a bezel
• Apply final polish and finishing to complete a professional-quality ring

Who This Course Is For

• Beginners looking to build strong fabrication and setting foundations
• Hobbyists with basic jewellery skills wanting to expand into bezel setting
• Students seeking practical, workshop-based learning

A basic jewellery-making skill set is advantageous but not essential. Confident hobbyists with good hand skills and a willingness to learn are very welcome.

What You’ll Take Home

• One or more completed silver bezel-set rings
• Practical fabrication and stone-setting skills you can apply to future projects
• Increased confidence working with silver sheet, wire and gemstones

Materials & Tools

Basic workshop tools will be available at The Centre. Materials (silver and stones) may be purchased separately or discussed prior to the course.

📍 Location: The Centre, Sydney
🗓️ Dates:2nd - 6th March
🕤 Time: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm daily (with a 30-minute lunch break)
🎒 What to Bring: Your own hand tools and consumables (e.g. blades, burs). Blanks and stones are provided.

Class Details:

Class will start at 9:30am. Students are welcome to arrive at 9am to get set up and get their benches ready.

What you need to bring:

Students are to bring their own hand tools. A complete list of what is needed on the day, will be sent to you prior to your class date. You can also bring your own jewellers apron.

Provided:

You will be provided with metal and any stones required for your piece. The Centre will also provide safety glasses if required.

Students will also be provided with a Certificate of Completion.

Lunch:

A light lunch and refreshments will be provided. Please advise our team if you have any allergies or special dietary requirements for the day. Coffee and tea will also be available.

Getting there:

The Centre is located on Parramatta Rd, which is accessible via bus or train. Alternatively there is free parking behind the building off Redmond St. Please visit The Centre website for more information. thecentresydney.org

Your teacher:

Andrew Pickering

With over 35 years of experience in the jewellery industry, Andrew Pickering began his career as an apprentice production gem setter and rose to become a specialist in 18ct gold, platinum, and precious gemstone setting for the largest manufacturer in Europe.

He has taught a wide range of stone setting courses at Birmingham’s prestigious School of Jewellery, working with beginners, jobbing jewellers, retailers, and custom makers.
One of his most popular courses, Tips of the Trade, was known for delivering practical, impactful results in just five days. Students often experienced breakthrough moments as they overcame long-standing setting challenges under Andrew’s guidance.

Throughout his career, Andrew was commissioned by jewellery companies across the UK to train their staff in both setting and pre-setting techniques for manufacturing. His training helped streamline production processes, reduce waste, and improve outcomes in commercial workshop settings.

In addition to his teaching and consultancy work, Andrew also spent 15 years as both a manufacturer and retailer in the UK, creating bespoke pieces for private clients.

Andrew’s teaching philosophy centres on simplicity and adaptability. He believes that beautiful results can be achieved with minimal tools, and his hands-on, low-stress approach is tailored to suit individual learning styles—empowering both emerging and experienced jewellers to find techniques that work best for them.