September "Springternship" at MMJ HQ! Melbourne (Eastern Suburbs, 3105 VIC)

Please provide your full personal contact details at the checkout including your phone number and email address.

No prerequisites or jewellery experience is required to enrol for this course. This intensive course is beginner friendly! You must be aged 18+ to enrol, and be able to endure long hours of focus at the bench (you can take breaks throughout the day at any time)! Patience and an ability to remain calm are beneficial.

What to bring with you: Please bring your own BYO lunch for each session. Madame Mak will provide light snacks, fruit, refreshments, tea and coffee daily. Please advise ASAP if you have any dietary allergies.

What to wear: Please wear closed toe shoes, and bring a hair tie, glasses (if needed) and an apron if you wish to remain clean!

Bring a notepad and pen as well - you'll definitely need it for week 2 (the freestyle experimental week)! Plus a camera or phone to document your process throughout the course!

Please visit the following link below for the workshop terms and conditions:

https://www.madamemakjewellery.com/pages/workshoptermsandconditions

The waxes used in this course are provided by the studio, and are the "hard" carving waxes (wax tubes and slices, for filing and shaping). This is not a "soft wax" (brown/pink/red wax) course.

This course does not include any on-site casting. All casting is performed offsite and is inaccessible to students, however my Lost Wax Introductory Manual which you will receive after course completion outlines the general casting process/steps involved to convert your wax to metal via the lost wax investment casting process.

This course does not include any soldering, traditional silversmithing, metal fabrication, casting/assembly of metals, 3D printing, moulding or wax injecting/mass production methods, sand casting, or creation of any large objects such as hollow forms, vases, dishes or homewares.

All classes start at 10am sharp!
Here is the agenda below:

Week One: The Foundational Wax Carving Classes

Thursday 5th September (Week 1 Day 1): Introductory Wax Carving (carve a stacking/dome ring) ~ 5 hours (PDF information included). This course introduces you to the basic tools and techniques required to carve a simple stacking/dome ring. The techniques and tool handling you'll learn in this class will set the foundation for the rest of the week.

Friday 6th September (Week 1 Day 2): Precision carve a signet ring ~ 5 hours (PDF information included for a round signet ring). In this class, I'll show you how to create a perfectly symmetrical signet ring, including the method for marking and measuring grids and guidelines on your wax model. This method can be applied to all of your carving processes in the future, and greatly helps with conceptualisation of sculptural and symmetrical designs.

Saturday 7th September (Week 1 Day 3): Wax Carved Pendants and Charms (including soft wax jump rings) ~ 3 hours

Sunday 8th September (Week 1 Day 4): Cast-not-set (gemstone setting directly in wax, for casting in place) ~ 5.5 hours (PDF information included). You will have access to various parcels of synthetic sapphires and rubies to create a gemstone-studded ring. You are permitted to bring your own stones to this class (they must be round shape faceted stones, and either synthetic or natural sapphires and rubies). Madame Mak will assess the suitability of your stones prior to allowing their use in your design.

Monday 9th September (Week 1 Day 5): Organic wax build up techniques ~ 5.5 hours (PDF information included). This is a little different (a lot different!) to hard wax carving. This class introduces you to the fundamentals of temperature control and working molten wax on a mandrel to build intricate designs. You will create one big statement claw ring featuring a flat back cabochon gemstone, which we will finish and set in the 3rd week!

5 wax models from this foundational week will be sent offsite for lost wax casting. The cost of silver materials and casting fees are included in the course fee for these 5 items. Student work may be cast in 9K gold if requested, and is an additional expense to the student (the balance is payable by bank transfer, on request).

Week 1 course duration: 24 hours, across 5 sessions.

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Week Two: Freestyle/Experiment With Your Own Designs (the trials and tribulations)!

Thursday 12th - Monday 16th September (Week 2 Day 1 - Day 5, total 24 hours over 5 sessions): Create your own designs in my studio, with my guidance. It's trials and tribulations week! BYO gemstones for assessment! Use my studio, tools and wax consumables, and carve as many things as you wish! Please bring a notepad and pen, as course notes aren't included (for week 2) due to the varying nature and unpredictability of your designs. You'll have the option of working with sticky textural Mitsuro Hikime Japanese beeswax in the last session of this week (or you can proceed with carving the hard waxes if you prefer). These wax models from week 2 will be taken home by you. They will not be cast as part of this course, however you may choose to cast them independently in the future if you wish to.

4 x 5 hour classes (hard wax & molten wax), 1 x 4 hour class (Japanese Mitsuro Hikime soft wax, or you may continue carving the hard wax if you prefer).

IMPORTANT: There is a one week hiatus at the end of week 2. We will reconvene in the last week of September after our one week break (see below). This one week break allows sufficient time for the casting magicians to transform your waxes (from the week 1 classes) into metal.

Week 2 course duration: 24 hours, across 5 sessions.

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Week Three: Metal Grinding & Polishing (& stone setting)

Thursday 26th September - Saturday 28th September (Week 3 Day 1 - 3): Smash through professional metal polishing and finishing techniques at your own pace in my studio. As a beginner you can reasonably finish 2 plain rings per day. On the last day we will finish and set your big organic cabochon statement ring, as it's the most challenging! BYO apron if you wish to remain dirt free!

Week 3 course duration: 13 hours, across 3 sessions.

Please BYO lunch. Amenities are available onsite for your convenience. Madame Mak will provide snacks, fruit, tea/coffee and refreshments throughout the week.

Limited offer - two student intakes only!

Please refer to the link below for the full terms and conditions:

https://www.madamemakjewellery.com/pages/workshoptermsandconditions

This wax working course will strictly run on the following designated days throughout the month of September 2024.

Course commences on: Thursday 5th September 2024 (the first day)
Course runs until: Saturday 28th September 2024 (the last day)

Classes start at 10am sharp!

Week 1: The Five Foundational Sessions
Thursday 5th September - Monday 9th September 2024 (5 consecutive days, total 24 hours)

Week 2: Freestyle Your Own Designs
Thursday 12th September - Monday 16th September 2024 (5 consecutive days, total 24 hours)

There will be a one week break (to have the waxes from week 1 coursework cast offsite) and then we will reconvene in the last week of September as follows;

Week 3: Metal Grinding & Polishing (& stone setting)
Thursday 26th September - Saturday 28th September 2024 (3 consecutive days, total 13 hours)

The duration of each session can be found in the "course details" section!

Total course duration: approximately 61 hours across 13 sessions!

Please visit the link below for the full terms and conditions:

https://www.madamemakjewellery.com/pages/workshoptermsandconditions

All hand tools, power tools, power tool attachments, safety equipment, consumables and waxes are provided by Madame Mak, and are for use within the studio only.

The carving waxes (hard waxes in the format of wax tubes and wax slices) are provided for your use for the duration of the course.

The synthetic gemstones (rubies & sapphires) for the cast-not-set class, and the natural cabochon (for your organic claw ring) are included in the course fee. Any additional gemstones you wish to experiment with in week 2 is BYO! There will not be any gemstones available to purchase on site. You don't need to bring gemstones with you, as you can still productively work on stoneless designs to build up those carving skills!

The tool lists required to set up a wax carving station will be provided after the final class, to assist you with sourcing the necessary items.

Students are eligible for student discounts (up to 15% off) with participating local tool suppliers in Melbourne. The application links to the respective suppliers will be forwarded after the last class has been completed.

This class package does not include any take-home tools or kits or consumables, and tools/consumables/waxes will not be available for purchase however you will be working on fully equipped jewellers benches for the duration of the course.

Please visit the link below for the full terms and conditions:

https://www.madamemakjewellery.com/pages/workshoptermsandconditions

The full class package investment ($6,565.00 Australian Dollars) is due upfront at the checkout, which includes the materials cost for 5 silver items and the associated casting fees of each (for the 5 course work waxes from week 1) plus the provision of waxes and consumables. Shall students wish to have any of their creations cast in solid gold, the amount for gold will be charged additionally to the student (at absolute cost price of manufacturing). Any additional charges must be paid for by the student (via bank transfer) immediately on request.

Please refer to the specific "Springternship" T's & C's at the following link below:

https://www.madamemakjewellery.com/pages/workshoptermsandconditions

Payment may be made at the checkout via PayPal or any of the major accepted cards.

Studio and safety policies, as well as my contact details will be sent to you via email in the form of a downloadable PDF, immediately after the class has been purchased. Please check your email inbox, and any other folders (including the junk box) after placing your order. Please enter a valid email address and your phone number at the checkout.

Please refer to the full terms and conditions at the link below:

https://www.madamemakjewellery.com/pages/workshoptermsandconditions

Please ensure you provide a valid email address at the checkout, as you will require one to receive your class learning materials (see below).

You will be provided with instruction manuals (PDF's) and tool lists relevant to the foundational wax carving topics we covered in the 1st week of the course, and the 3rd week of the course (metal finishing & cabochon claw setting).

Students are fully responsible for taking notes during their 2nd week of the course. Please understand that it is not possible for MMJ to prepare tailored process notes for your designs, due to the varying nature and unpredictability of the work each student chooses to create during their "freestyle" week. Students are encouraged to take as many photos, videos and notes as possible to refer back to in future.

After course completion, you will also receive a letter of workshop enrolment from MMJ studio to support your student discount applications, plus instructions regarding how to access student discounts with the participating jewellery supply stores within Australia. These student discount offers are one-time-only with each supplier, so it's always best to bulk buy after you've finished the course to reap the maximum benefit!

You will also receive the contact details for a local metal casting company in Melbourne, so you'll know where to go if you choose to have any of your "week 2" waxes cast at your discretion once you're out in the wild doing your thing!

PLUS you will receive one complimentary "Madame Mak" solid 9ct gold forest fairy pendant of your choice. There are 7 of my pendant designs to choose from, and you may select your preferred design in the first week. You will receive your solid gold gift on the last day of the course (chain is not included). Only students who have completed the full course shall be eligible to receive this gift.

Please refer to the full length terms and conditions of this course below:

https://www.madamemakjewellery.com/pages/workshoptermsandconditions