Pockets full of pebbles from the shores of Lake Superior? Ready to turn them into jewelry? Pebble drilling has long been a popular way to turn lake treasures into jewelry. But not all pebbles are meant to be drilled. In this four-day class, students will learn several different ways to capture and display pebbles. The class will introduce the basics of prong setting, bezel setting and cold connections, skills that can be used to capture pebbles in sterling silver and turn them into beautiful pendants, necklaces, bracelets or earrings. Students will walk the beach for an hour the first day gathering pebbles and then spend the remainder of the course creating unique jewelry. Prong settings and other metal fabrication methods allow the jeweler to showcase that special pebble or set a stone that’s not perfectly smooth without drilling a hole in the pebble. We will also drill a few stones and incorporate them into our projects. This is an opportunity to learn basic metalsmithing techniques, or expand your skill set to capture your North Shore treasures! There will be new projects for returning students. All tools will be provided, and sterling silver will be available for purchase at the time of the class.

You will need the following tools for this class:

All required tools/materials are provided by your instructor and North House and will be available once the course begins.

Feel free to bring your favorite tools and whatever materials you might feel appropriate for this course.

• Small pebbles for setting
• Eye sight magnification

North House provides a good selection of hand tools, but you are welcome to bring your favorite hand tools.

• Jewelers saw
• Flat nose and round nose pliers
• Files
• Bezel pusher
• Small hand towel
• Notebook and pen/pencil for note taking
• Extra fine tip permanent black Sharpie pen