Fundamentals of Metallurgy: Melting and Bullion with Elisavet Messi
- Date
- 24 Mar 2025 · 1:00PM - 4:00PM
- Price
- £99+ bring your own scrap of sterling silver max. 15 gr (6 places), Bookings close 11 March 2025
- Venue
- The Goldsmiths’ Centre, London EC1M 5AD
- Programme type
- Technical Skills Training
Learn how to melt and recycle your scrap silver turning it into bullion, making your business more sustainable while complying with hallmarking standards with experienced jeweller Elisavet Messi.
Turning old metal scrap into bullion is a useful and resourceful skill that will allow you to improve your understanding and control of melting and reshaping processes.
The repurposing of old materials is increasing thanks to a growing awareness of environmental issues. More designers are looking to use greener precious metal alternatives. Learning how to recycle scrap metal to make new pieces could be a positive solution to making your jewellery more sustainable.
Ideal for all levels of experience, this on-site course led by jeweller Elisavet Messi, offers a comprehensive and hands-on approach to melting and recycling scrap silver for sustainable jewellery making while adhering to hallmarking standards. The course covers a range of topics including health and safety, setting up your workshop for melting, and developing practical skills for recycling materials and preparing your own bullion effectively.
In this three-hour course, you will learn to melt and recycle your silver through demonstrations and hands-on learning, plus you will receive our handy online guide to support your sustainable practice.
This course will enable you to be a small part of the solution by re-using metals already in circulation.
FAQs:
Delivered in person at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, this course will help you with:
- Overview of recycling techniques: Learn how to recycle clean scrap, such as sheet and wire off-cuts and understand the sustainability benefits of repurposing old materials.
- Hands on melting: Melt down your own silver and transform it into wire for reuse, gaining practical experience with the melting process and learning how to optimise your torch setup.
- Troubleshoot: Learn to work with freshly melted silver, and explore the safe use, pros and cons of using a rolling mill and/or draw bench to prevent cracks and other defects.
- Assay Office standards: Receive special attention to the properties of metal, differentiating between melting and refinery processes and understand how to comply with Assay Office standards when recycling your own metal.
- Resource guidance: Receive a range of resources related to sustainable practice whilst discussing and identifying methods that best suit your jewellery making practice based on your personal circumstances.
- Health and safety precaution: Cover all necessary health and safety precautions around melting and preparing bullion and understand responsible disposal of pickle gaining insights into bioproducts and contamination.
- Customer communication: Understand how to communicate the significance of using recycled materials and learn about your responsibility to educate consumers about the differences between ethical, fairtrade and recycled metal so they can make an informed decision about their jewellery purchases.
- Interactive learning: Benefit from group and individual guidance from your tutor, whilst you engage in discussion, Q&A and collaborative learning.
- Be part of the solution: This course not only empowers you with practical skills but it also instils a deeper understanding of the environmental impact of our craft, encouraging sustainable and responsible practice within the jewellery industry.
- Fresh scrap of sterling silver (Max 15gr)
- Optional: a scrap of old silver jewellery or miscellaneous silver items to recycle. However, items may not be suitable for melting, an assessment will be done but only fresh scrap of 1 clarity will be melted on the day.
- Optional: Spectacles or head visor (if required) to work on small details.
All levels of experience welcome.
Who is the tutor?
Elisavet Messi is an award-winning professional goldsmith. As the daughter of a mechanical engineer, and a trained goldsmith, Elisavet Messi is a big supporter of technicality and innovation. With a focus on sustainability and ethical practice, her sculptural jewellery focuses on materials and is made from 100% recycled silver and 18ct recycled gold where possible. Elisavet has received multiple awards for her innovative use of wire including the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council Awards and the honour to be a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers. Beyond her own practice, she is also passionate about academia and she is an active mentor and tutor for several institutes.