Undergraduate Course: Jewellery and Silversmithing 2A: Fundamentals of Designing and Making Jewellery (DESI08156)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | This course provides an introduction for Year 2 and direct-entry students to the practices associated with the design and making of studio jewellery. Students will be introduced to fundamental jewellery design skills, working with a range of materials through critically informed, practice-led teaching.
Key visual research methods will be introduced through short thematic projects and structured exercises. Students will be encouraged to develop creative approaches to research in response to project briefs and to apply design process skills towards the development and production of prototypes and resolved pieces.
Visual research, design development and technical processes will be documented through the use of a sketchbook.
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| Course description |
Students are introduced to the discipline of jewellery through a series of short thematic projects. These projects encourage the exploration of outcomes using a range of techniques that develop material handling, technical competence, and creative responses.
The aim of the course is to develop students' understanding of the design process and the communication of ideas through material and making. Students will be supported in developing approaches to research, experimentation, and iterative design within a studio-based context.
This course complements Jewellery and Silversmithing 1A: Materials and the Body; however, there are no formal prerequisites. The course is designed to accommodate direct-entry Year 2 students who may not have prior experience in jewellery making or tool handling. Students are expected to demonstrate foundational design knowledge acquired during first-year study, or an equivalent level of experience in the case of direct-entry students.
Design briefs and technical instruction are structured to challenge and support students in developing discipline-specific, practice-led learning. Students will be encouraged to consider the relationships between function, form, scale, and the body in the development of their work.
The course will be delivered through practical workshops of approximately 14 hours per week, supported by regular feedback.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | This Course requires additional costs to be met by the Student.
Materials: Students will be expected to fund the purchase of general art and design materials, such as sketchbooks, paper and pens. Students will be expected to fund purchase of some specialist materials required by their course [e.g. base-metals, calico, toile etc]. Course Organisers will support you in meeting intended learning outcomes while keeping material costs to a minimum, but students will be expected to fund optional material costs as necessary for their own project work.
To fully participate in this course students are recommended to budget a minimum of £55 for materials such as base metals and modelling materials. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
400
(
Lecture Hours 2,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 134,
External Visit Hours 3,
Summative Assessment Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
244 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
SUMMATIVE Assessment(s)
Portfolio (100%) submitted at the end of the course and evidencing all Learning Outcomes.
Learning Outcomes are weighted as LO1 33%, LO2 33% and LO3 34%.
All Learning Outcomes must be passed to pass the course.
SUMMATIVE Assessment details
Portfolio (100%) submission should include:
-A sketchbook that includes primary and secondary visual -and contextual research
-2D & 3D models and prototypes
-A technical notebook
-Technical samples and material tests
-Resolved finished work
The body of work will show evidence of process/development in response to the project brief(s).
Resit info
The resubmission assessment is the same as the original submission for this course.
This means that students can build on any previous work. Final outcomes can be presented as models, underpinned by thorough design development and evidence of practical/technical understanding. |
| Feedback |
Feedback
FORMATIVE
Students receive verbal feedback from staff and student peers on a weekly basis in class, through tutorials and seminars. Formative feedback will be given in week 5-6 based on the body of work completed to date. Individual oral and written formative feedback will be delivered by the course organiser and course tutor. This formative feedback will provide students with guidance on how their work is progressing which will assist in the development of work towards summative assessment.
SUMMATIVE
Final course grades and written feedback will be provided within 15 working days. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Investigate a wide range of primary and secondary sources to inform personal material, visual, and theoretical enquiries in relation to the jewellery discipline.
- Develop and apply approaches to designing and making jewellery to explore the complexities of material, form, and technique.
- Resolve studio work demonstrating a variety of techniques and outcomes relevant to the discipline.
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Reading List
Cherry, Norman 'Jewellery Design and Development from Concept to Object' Bloomsbury Publishing, (2013)
Codina, Carles. Jewellery and silversmithing techniques. London: A & C Black, (2002)
McCreight, Tim. 'Complete Metalsmith : an illustrated handbook'. Davis Publications (1982)
Olver, Elizabeth 'The Art of Jewellery Design'. A and C Black Publisher, (2001)
The Goldsmiths' Centre. (n.d.). Learn and upskill: Resources. https://www.goldsmiths-centre.org/learn-and-upskill/resources/
Material Matters. (n.d.). Podcast. https://materialmatters.design/Podcast
Klimt02. (n.d.). Klimt02. https://klimt02.net/
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Curiosity: Demonstrate curiosity through the exploration of materials, techniques, and processes within a jewellery workshop and studio environment.
Problem Solving: Develop technical competence through iterative making, testing, and refining processes in response to design challenges.
Reflection: Develop critical reflection through research, experimentation, design development, and evaluation, leading to relevant and informed outcomes.
Communication: Articulate design concepts and critical reflection through sketchbooks and visual documentation, communicating ideas, processes, and outcomes within the context of individual practice.
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| Keywords | Jewellery-design,material-exploration,making,2D-3D,metalwork |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Heather Woof
Tel: (0131 6)51 5807
Email: hwoof@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Abbie Summers
Tel: (01316) 502306
Email: ahumphr2@ed.ac.uk |
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