Apprenticeship Journey
This page documents my apprenticeship in traditional goldsmithing through the Jewellery Training Solutions program, under the guidance of master goldsmith Peter Keep. In the old tradition of the goldsmith’s bench journal, what follows is a chronicle of that journey: the projects, the setbacks, the small victories, and the gradual sharpening of skill that only comes through repetition and persistence. This is not a showcase of finished work, but a record of becoming—one stage, one technique, one hard-earned lesson at a time.
Stage 3: Intermediate Soldering, Forming & Fixing Skills
Snowflake Pendant
Day 242: The Pearl Ring (May 31, 2026)
Stage 2: Basic Soldering, Alternative Fixing & Planning
Snowflake Pendant
Day 226: Twenty-Four Solder Joints and One Final Rivet (May 15, 2026)
Gyroscope Ring
Day 212: Two Failures, Two Different Lessons (May 1, 2026)
Day 206: When Rushing Costs You the Work (April 25, 2026)
Day 197: The Gyroscope Ring (April 17, 2026)
Riveting Techniques
Day 191: The Impatient Ring (Apr 11, 2026)
Day 183: When the Practice Matters More Than the Piece (Apr 3, 2026)
Chain Linkage
Day 176: When Plans A, B, and C Failed (Mar 27, 2026)
Day 169: What It Takes to Make a Ring Move (Mar 20, 2026)
Day 163: Seven Good Links Out of Twenty-Four (Mar 14, 2026)
Day 156: Precision in Every Link (Mar 7, 2026)
Day 149: When the Rolling Mill Quit, the Week Got Real (Feb 28, 2026)
Stage 1: Basic Technical Skills Tests
Day 115: 5 Down, 45 To Go (Jan 25, 2026)
Day 0: The Journey Begins (Oct 1, 2025)