Secret Garden: Mixed-Metal Rings

Date: Friday July 31st, 2026

Time: 9am-12noon EST  

About the Class:

Ditch the delicate and forge your own organic, mixed-metal statement piece rooted in classic botanical elegance. 

Unearth the secrets of combining contrasting metals in this immersive, half-day class. Students will work with sleek sterling silver wire and pre-made, richly textured bronze and copper botanical components to design a striking, bypass-style ring reminiscent of an overgrown, enchanted garden. We will dive straight into fundamental metalsmithing techniques, starting with the mathematics of sizing, measuring, and cutting your wire. From there, you’ll master manipulating the metal using a mandrel, utilizing annealing techniques to soften the metal when necessary, and filing it to a flawless finish. Finally, you’ll learn the art of soldering mixed metals, pickling, and high-shine polishing to make those metallic contrasts pop. 

What You Will Learn: 

• How to accurately measure, calculate, and cut sterling silver wire for custom ring sizing. 

• Techniques for shaping, wrapping, and trueing a bypass ring shank on a steel mandrel. 

• The theory and practice of annealing to restore malleability to work-hardened metal. 

• Precision filing and joint preparation to ensure seamless connections. 

• Multi-metal soldering strategies to securely fuse bronze and copper components to a sterling silver base without melting your details. 

• Traditional finishing steps, including pickling and polishing for a professional, high-contrast look. 

Why You Should Take This Class 

If you’ve ever wanted to break away from standard, single-metal jewelry and add a rich, multi-dimensional contrast to your work, this class is your perfect gateway. In just half a day, you will demystify the torch and the soldering block, walking away with a finished, high-quality ring that looks like it was plucked from an upscale artisan boutique. It’s an intensely satisfying, beautifully paced session that delivers maximum creative payoff and foundational skills you can instantly apply to future bench work. 

Prerequisites: 

This course is perfect for absolute beginners with zero torch experience, yet offers a fun, fast, and refreshing project for advanced students looking to play with pre-made mixed-metal components. 

About the Instructor 

Your instructor, Carrie Story, is a renowned metal clay artist, inventor, and manufacturer, celebrated for her innovative designs and approachable teaching style. With a passion for empowering artists, Carrie brings a friendly, engaging energy to the classroom, drawing inspiration from 1990s-inspired edgy design to help students liberate their creativity and achieve stunning results. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: 

Kit Materials: Each student will receive 2 components & 6" of soldering wire. 

In Person:  Students will receive their kits in the classroom. You do not need to bring any materials or supplies. 

Online: Your kit will be mailed upon registration. REQUIRED TOOLS: medium and easy solder wire, flux, pickle, torch, solderite, soldering tweezers, metal file, jewelers saw, millimeter ruler, steel ring mandrel, ring sizer, mallet, polishing equipment 

Select your preference when ordering in comments (Bee & Flower OR Flower & Leaf) components. If left blank items will be pre-selected for you.