Introduction

Is it an often occurrence that you can never find the right jewelry to fit a certain outfit? Sometimes we all wish we could conjure up our own jewelry to fit exactly what you want. Well, if those are some thoughts you’ve had my workshop prevails in the wish to create jewelry whenever you’d want! In this workshop, participants will create their own jewelry through air-dry clay! As a weekly class, students will work collaboratively and independently to learn about the basic knowledge of jewelry and develop an understanding of sculpting techniques that will be applied to the creation of their final clay jewelry set. By the end of the semester, students will be resourceful to create their own accessories.  

History & Distinction

From what I’ve learned so far from my research, jewelry is known to be culturally significant for many regions of the world. Depending on the region, some places source shells, tusks, and metals to show cultural significance of these objects. (Gregorietti) Over time, with evolutionary advantages, gemstones and minerals have been valued through many cultures. An example of this is taken closely from Southeast Asian countries, which usually affect social hierarchy. (Demandt) Jewelry has even found ways in the past, affecting how we view our future. For example, with black culture, some artists see the benefits of jewelry in talking about the past. (Grant) 

Methods

A common method that I had used was researching different cultures that use jewelry in significant ways. I believe this was a good opportunity for people in my class to gain different perspectives on jewelry to bring us together as people. As for teaching them to create their projects, I relied heavily on my skill of making clay jewelry previously. Here, knowing I have been through trial and error, I know what should and shouldn't be taught to students to maximize our time during the semester. Each week, our workshop consisted of learning different cultures and processes for creating certain jewelry pieces. Then, in the following week, apply these skills in their projects.

Audience & Impact

The intent of my workshop is for people who have a general interest in jewelry or love to get into the basic level of jewelry making. The workshop should be geared towards those who are open to learning small techniques and practices that go into making handmade jewelry with the fun of creating a design through painting. While also going through the basics of clay and using it in our final project to create jewelry. My target audience is for those who want to understand the different ways we can shape and use clay, while keeping in mind that you will get your hands dirty. I want others to gain confidence and understand the different ways society may perceive jewelry in different cultures.

References

DEMANDT, MICHÈLE H. S. “Early Gold Ornaments of Southeast Asia: Production, Trade, and Consumption.” Asian Perspectives, vol. 54, no. 2, 2015, pp. 305–30. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26357682. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Gregorietti, Guido. "Jewelry". Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Jul. 2024,         https://www.britannica.com/art/jewelry. Accessed 8 October 2024

Grant, Sebastian. “EXPLORATIONS IN BLACK JEWELRY: LEGACY.” Ebscohost, 1 April 2021 search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=asn&AN=150788328&site=ehost-live . Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Acknowledgements

 I would like to thank my students for helping me along this journey of learning and helping me grow as a person, being patient, and being the best students ever! I would also like to thank my advisors for giving me feedback on ways to effectively get through the workshop semester. I would also like to thank my TA for helping get ready for every single class and providing suggestions to help the class run smoothly.