Joe Silvera is a metalsmith, wax carver, teacher and author of Soldering Made Simple: Easy Techniques for Kitchen Table Jewelers. He and his wife Anat teach beadwork and metalsmithing classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and at schools and festivals all across the United States.

Metalsmithing Workshops
and Retreats
Some students have told us that they've learned more in our 1, 2 and 3 day workshops than they did during a semester of jewelry! Our classes are packed with information, tips and practical techniques - and each student receives full color handouts with step by step pictures, illustrations and instructions for the project. They're like mini-books! Find out more...

Shop for Tools, Books and DVDs
We distribute quality metalsmithing tools by EuroTool, including soldering, casting and polishing equipment. Browse our online store for a select series of hand tools and equipment for small studios.

You can also find Joe’s book, Soldering Made Simple, the companion DVD with great demonstrations of beginning soldering techniques, and more helpful metalsmithing DVDs in our online store. Check it out...

Wax Carving
What is wax carving? Well, have you ever wanted to cast your own designs in metal, like silver, gold or bronze? Then you need lost wax casting, and carving a wax model is how you prepare your piece for casting. I love carving wax. And I get to carve wax models for a living. Nice. My clients typically are looking for a way to make their jewelry stand apart from the masses, with some original charms, clasps, or logo tags. And sometimes I make custom one of a kind rings and jewelry for people looking for something special, or as a gift or for themselves. Check out my pages on the lost wax process, my portfolio and more about how I can help you cast your own original designs with custom wax models. Read more about wax carving...
 

Make Jewelry at Home.
We teach people how to make their own jewelry, using techniques and equipment that are affordable, accessible and home studio friendly. Students include jewelers, designers, beadworkers and hobbyists - raw beginners and intermediates. Our classes and projects use culinary microbutane torches, biodegradable citric cleaning solutions, and the cleanest, least messy polishing abrasives. We have classes in fabrication, soldering, stone setting, lost wax casting and more. Check out our classes and portfolio of work by our students and instructors.

Classes in the Bay Area and Beyond
Study at our studio classroom in Berkeley, Ca, at Baubles and Beads in Berkeley or San Rafael, or at bead shops and festivals around the country. Our studio classroom is fully equipped, with benches and tools, like torches, flex shafts and more, for each student to use - no need to haul your own tools to class!


Classes and Private Lessons to
Fit into Your Schedule
We teaches one and two day classes in beadwork and metalsmithing, including basic metalsmithing, basic soldering and stone setting, at Baubles and Beads in Berkeley and San Rafael. Baubles offers a large selection of beading and metalsmithing supplies. Need help with a specific technique or on your schedule? Try a private lesson. 

Small classes. Lots of help.
Local classes are small, 6 - 9 students max, with lots of hands-on-help and critique to accelerate your learning. Demonstrations are magnified live on a flat screen television so that everyone can see and understand the process. Many of our classes at our studio are multi-day metalsmithing retreats and workshops for intensive learning - three days of learning and practicing soldering, stone setting, and lots of other metalsmithing techniques.

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Studio Tour
Teacher and Student Work
How to Sign Up for Classes