Forge Your Own Silver Ring Workshop Dublin

The Drury Street Studio in Dublin's Creative Quarter

The default option of this silver ring workshop in Dublin takes place at 24 Drury Street, in the Creative Quarter between Grafton Street and South Great George's Street. This grid of Georgian and Victorian streets is known for independent design shops, vintage stores, galleries and cafés, making it the perfect setting for a craft class in the city.

The studio is small and friendly, with workbenches set up for each participant and all the jeweller's tools laid out ready. Classes start at 10:00, 13:00, 16:00 and 19:00, and run for about two hours. Note that the studio is reached by steep stairs. The same workshop also runs at a second studio at 4 South Great George's Street, offered as a separate option in the booking panel, usually at 16:00.

Measuring, Cutting and Shaping Your Ring

The class begins by choosing the finger you want the ring for. Your tutor measures your size and you mark the strip of sterling silver, an alloy of 92.5 per cent pure silver, to the right length. Then you take a jeweller's handsaw and cut it yourself, learning how to hold the blade steady and let the saw do the work.

Next comes the most satisfying part: you form the ring by tapping the silver around a steel ring mandrel with a mallet until the ends meet. The tutor then solders the joint closed with a torch, so you never handle the flame. It is a calm, step-by-step process, no experience is needed, and you are surprised how quickly a flat strip becomes a real ring.

Filing, Texturing and Polishing

Once the ring is soldered you learn to file it with several hand files, refining the edges and deciding what curve you want the band to have, a choice that makes a big difference to the final look and comfort. This is where each ring starts to look personal.

Then you choose from three very different textures and create it with the planishing hammer, from a soft hammered sparkle to a bolder pattern. Finally you select the polish, from a bright mirror finish to a softer satin look, and buff the ring until it shines. The finished piece is yours to keep and wear straight away. Many couples make rings for each other, and it is one of the most memorable things to do in Dublin as a lasting souvenir.

Around the Studio: George's Street, Grafton Street and Dublin Castle

The studio sits in one of Dublin's liveliest areas, so it is easy to combine the class with sightseeing. Just around the corner, the George's Street Arcade is a red-brick Victorian covered market from 1881, full of small stalls selling books, records, crafts and street food, while Grafton Street and St Stephen's Green are a five-minute walk away.

Dublin Castle lies a short walk to the north, and inside its grounds the Assay Office has hallmarked Irish silver and gold since the 1630s, a nice link with the craft you have just tried. The castle courtyards and gardens are free to walk through. If you are wondering how to get to the studio, Drury Street is about ten minutes on foot from Trinity College and close to the St Stephen's Green tram stop.