Calendar

FASCINATING WORLD OF FILIGREE
An Introduction to Filigree Jewellery
Calgary Rock and Lapidary Club, Calgary Alberta Canada

Instructed by: Milt Fischbein (milt@mfmetalarts.com)

Length : 12 hrs of instruction,
Saturday April 5, 2025, 10 am – 5 pm, 1 hr lunch
Sunday April 6, 2025, 10 am – 5 pm, 1 hr lunch

Workshop Fee : $325 Early Bird Fee Valid until Midnight March 22. Fee will be $450 after that date
Note that this is special pricing for CRLC.
Material Kit: $89 Includes some basic filigree tools and enough silver and other materials to make several pendants

Class Size – Maximum of 6 students

Registration: You can register via Milt’s Website www.mfmetalarts.com
with credit card payment
Or
Register via email with payment by eTransfer
milt@mfmetalarts.com

Learn how to make filigree jewellery with Calgary Filigree Artist Milt Fischbein. Milt will teach you the fundamentals of making filigree jewellery. At the end of this workshop you will have created a beautiful filigree pendant set with a cabochon stone and you will have the knowledge to continue making beautiful filigree objects on your own.
Filigree is an ancient technique that involves the creation of lace-like silver jewellery out of fine silver wires. Using very basic tools, beautiful objects are made by twisting and curling fine silver threads and soldering them into carefully crafted frames.
In this workshop you will learn the basics of filigree and will create a lovely filigree pendant. You will learn how to prepare fine silver filigree wires and form them into lacey filigree shapes. You will then learn how to create sterling silver frames and how to solder the lacey filigree wire into the frames to create beautiful filigree jewellery.

You will also learn :
Design basics for making filigree pendants
How to fabricate a traditional filigree bail
How to select the appropriate tools for making filigree
How to make a number of different lacey filigree shapes
Filigree Soldering with both paste and traditional filigree powder solders.
Incorporating bezel set cabochon stones into your filigree designs

Prerequisite : Workshop is suitable for experienced as well as beginner students Basic jewellery fabrication skills along with experience in jewellery soldering is required.
Must be a member of Calgary Rock and Lapidary Club

Fascinating World of Filigree
MATERIAL KIT
Updated Jan 2025

Material Kit
Material Kit Fee: $89
The fee for your materials kit is $89.00 and is payable in advance of the workshop with e-transfer or credit card.
The kit includes all of the materials that you will need to make the workshop pendant. It will contain extra silver wire and solder so that you will have enough materials to make at least one additional filigree piece.
Also included in the kit are two pairs of tweezers and a solder application tool which are yours to keep.
If you require additional materials ie fine silver wire, sterling wire etc, you can bring your own or you can purchase small quantities from me during the workshop.

Kit will include:

Tweezer Style 00
Tweezer Style 3
Paste Solder in a syringe
Fine Silver wire 26 Ga approx. 6 meters
Fine Silver wire 20 Ga 25cm - twisted pair, prepared in advance of the class for your by the instructor
Sterling Silver wire 16 Ga 50 cm
Sterling Silver wire 18 Ga 50 cm
Jump Rings 20 Ga 4.6 mm OD (3)
Bezel Cup (1 x 10 mm)
Carnelian Cabochon Stone (1 x 10 mm)
Materials for Filigree Bail (Prepared in advance of class by the instructor)
20 Ga Sterling silver wire flattened for use (SS 20GaF0.45x1)
26 Ga Fine Silver wire prepared by instructor as filigree filler

Basic Lapidary
Saturday,  April 5th, 12pm-6pm
$80/member, Max 4
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

Have you wanted to give cutting your own cabochons a try? For this low pressure workshop I will take you through the steps of trimming down a slab on the trim saw to grinding your rough shape, to final polish. Material to pick through will be provided. I will also share a shortcut to making round cabochons...

FASCINATING WORLD OF FILIGREE
An Introduction to Filigree Jewellery
Calgary Rock and Lapidary Club, Calgary Alberta Canada

Instructed by: Milt Fischbein (milt@mfmetalarts.com)

Length : 12 hrs of instruction,
Saturday April 5, 2025, 10 am – 5 pm, 1 hr lunch
Sunday April 6, 2025, 10 am – 5 pm, 1 hr lunch

Workshop Fee : $325 Early Bird Fee Valid until Midnight March 22. Fee will be $450 after that date
Note that this is special pricing for CRLC.
Material Kit: $89 Includes some basic filigree tools and enough silver and other materials to make several pendants

Class Size – Maximum of 6 students

Registration: You can register via Milt’s Website www.mfmetalarts.com
with credit card payment
Or
Register via email with payment by eTransfer
milt@mfmetalarts.com

Learn how to make filigree jewellery with Calgary Filigree Artist Milt Fischbein. Milt will teach you the fundamentals of making filigree jewellery. At the end of this workshop you will have created a beautiful filigree pendant set with a cabochon stone and you will have the knowledge to continue making beautiful filigree objects on your own.
Filigree is an ancient technique that involves the creation of lace-like silver jewellery out of fine silver wires. Using very basic tools, beautiful objects are made by twisting and curling fine silver threads and soldering them into carefully crafted frames.
In this workshop you will learn the basics of filigree and will create a lovely filigree pendant. You will learn how to prepare fine silver filigree wires and form them into lacey filigree shapes. You will then learn how to create sterling silver frames and how to solder the lacey filigree wire into the frames to create beautiful filigree jewellery.

You will also learn :
Design basics for making filigree pendants
How to fabricate a traditional filigree bail
How to select the appropriate tools for making filigree
How to make a number of different lacey filigree shapes
Filigree Soldering with both paste and traditional filigree powder solders.
Incorporating bezel set cabochon stones into your filigree designs

Prerequisite : Workshop is suitable for experienced as well as beginner students Basic jewellery fabrication skills along with experience in jewellery soldering is required.
Must be a member of Calgary Rock and Lapidary Club

Fascinating World of Filigree
MATERIAL KIT
Updated Jan 2025

Material Kit
Material Kit Fee: $89
The fee for your materials kit is $89.00 and is payable in advance of the workshop with e-transfer or credit card.
The kit includes all of the materials that you will need to make the workshop pendant. It will contain extra silver wire and solder so that you will have enough materials to make at least one additional filigree piece.
Also included in the kit are two pairs of tweezers and a solder application tool which are yours to keep.
If you require additional materials ie fine silver wire, sterling wire etc, you can bring your own or you can purchase small quantities from me during the workshop.

Kit will include:

Tweezer Style 00
Tweezer Style 3
Paste Solder in a syringe
Fine Silver wire 26 Ga approx. 6 meters
Fine Silver wire 20 Ga 25cm - twisted pair, prepared in advance of the class for your by the instructor
Sterling Silver wire 16 Ga 50 cm
Sterling Silver wire 18 Ga 50 cm
Jump Rings 20 Ga 4.6 mm OD (3)
Bezel Cup (1 x 10 mm)
Carnelian Cabochon Stone (1 x 10 mm)
Materials for Filigree Bail (Prepared in advance of class by the instructor)
20 Ga Sterling silver wire flattened for use (SS 20GaF0.45x1)
26 Ga Fine Silver wire prepared by instructor as filigree filler

Build Your Own Prong Setting *New Longer Time!*
Sunday, April 6th, 12pm-4pm 
$95/ Member, Max 4
Materials Included
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

This type of setting will give you a bit of a rush with creativity :) This is an alternative setting that can be used for not only cabochon stones but also irregularly shaped items like small ammonites. You will be using your creativity to build a setting that will allow you to see more of your stone than a bezel setting. You will be challenged but excited at the possibilities!
Bring something you would like to wear as a pendant. There will also be stones available for purchase. 
Special Note:
**If you would like to take both classes today and make a day of it, save $25 on the class fees ($165 per person). Please mention it when registering.**

Build a Drop Pendant *New Class!*
Sunday, April 6th, 5pm-9pm 
$95/ Member, Max 4
Materials Included
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

You will be building a cap bail to hang a bullet shaped stone from. (There will be a few to choose from included with the class!) This type of setting will give you another option to add to your pendant making arsenal. This is one of the only settings that will be attached to the stone with a "chemical bond" ;) This will be a great project for practicing your soldering skills while making something that might be oddly familiar...  You will be challenged but excited at the possibilities!
Special Note:
**If you would like to take both classes today and make a day of it, save $25 on the class fees ($165 per person). Please mention it when registering.**

Tube Setting
Monday, April 7th, 2pm-5pm
$80/Member, Max 4
Materials Kit $40
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

Wanting to add faceted gems to your work and not sure how to do it? This method of setting is a step up from bezel setting but still quite accessible. You will learn how to cut a seat for the stone and set a faceted stone in a tube setting you will be soldering to your practice plate. This kind of setting can be used in many different ways due to its ease of making and adaptability. You will be surprised by how quickly it works!
Material kits will include:
- 5pcs of 3mm clear Cubic Zirconia
- 5pcs of sterling silver tubing
- practice plate to solder settings to
- 0.8mm drill bit
- 3mm setting bur
- 2.7mm ball bur
- 3" medium solder wire
Special Note:
**If you would like to take both classes today and make a day of it, save $25 on the class fees ($150 per person). Please mention it when registering.**

Ring with Tube Setting
Monday, April 7th, 6pm-9pm
$95/Member, Max 4
Materials included
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

You will be making a sterling silver ring with a tube setting to take home. All tools required will be provided. If you have never done a tube setting before, I would highly recommend taking the Tube Setting Class earlier in the day.
Special Note:
**If you would like to take both classes today and make a day of it, save $25 on the class fees ($150 per person). Please mention it when registering.**

Hello May Show Volunteers!

We are all getting very excited about our May show that isn’t far away! Thank you all for signing up to volunteer.
In preparation for the May show we are going to be holding two training sessions in April for those of you that will be helping out in the Membership/Information booth. You would only need to attend one session. Mark one of the dates on your calendar to attend. There is no sign-up sheet. We will also answer any questions at the session, and you will get to practice with both the tablet and the membership form. The length of one training session will likely be only an hour but depends on the number of attendees and questions.
The training sessions dates (pick one):
Afternoon session: Saturday April 13th at 1pm
Evening session: Monday April 22nd at 6pm

In the training session you will learn:
1) How to fill out a paper membership form to sign up a new member
2) How to process a transaction on the tablet using Square. You will be selling memberships, club merchandise like t-shirts and pins.
We encourage you to attend one of these sessions if you are new to the Info/Membership booth or for those of you that have helped out in the past but feel like an information refresher would help get you started again. If you have already volunteered in the last few years at the membership table at our events (May Show/November Artisan Show) and still feel confident filling out membership forms and using the tablet to process the payment you don’t need to attend.
We are looking forward to seeing you at one of our training sessions and at the May Show!
Our excited volunteer training team will see you then!

Thank you,
Christa
Membership/Info Booth Chair May Show

Bezel Setting Level 1
Saturday, April 12th, 4pm-8pm  *New Extended Time*  
$80/member, Max 4
Materials kit $60 
(** Materials kit will include a stone, but other options will be available starting at $3**) 
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

You will learn how to build a standard bezel setting for round or oval cabochon stones that you could use as a pendant. I will have materials available for purchase ($60 kit) or you can bring your own. Please let me know if you are going to need supplies to help me gauge what I need to bring.
You will need:
-A round or oval cabochon no bigger than 1.5 inch squared is preferred.
-20 or 22GA (0.8 or 0.6mm) sterling silver sheet metal large enough to cover the bottom of your stone with a little extra around it.
-Fine silver bezel wire (preferably the tall 5mm. You can always make it shorter.)
-Medium silver soldering wire, and wire to make a jump ring
(** Materials kit will include a stone, but other options will be available starting at $3**)

Bezel Setting Level 2
Sunday, April 13th, 2pm-6pm  *New Extended Time*  
$80/member, Max 4
Materials kit $60
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

(** Materials kit will include a stone, but other options will be available starting at $3**)
You will learn how to build a standard bezel setting for a freeform or shaped cabochon stones with corners/ points that you could use as a pendant. I will have materials available for purchase ($60 kit) or you can bring your own. Please let me know if you are going to need supplies to help me gauge what I need to bring.
You will need:
-A freeform or shaped cabochon no bigger than 1.5 inch square preferred.
-20 or 22GA (0.8 or 0.6mm) sterling silver sheet metal large enough to cover the bottom of your stone with a little extra around it.
-Fine silver bezel wire (preferably the tall 5mm. You can always make it shorter.)
-Medium silver soldering wire
-Wire to make a jump ring

Scrap to Ingot
Monday, April 14th, 12pm-3pm
$45/Member, Max 2
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to Register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

Bring in your solder free scrap sterling silver to make your ingot!
Looking for a way to use up some of those pesky little scraps that aren't big enough to use for anything else? I will show you how to pour an ingot out of your scrap so that you can roll out your silver into a more useful form. You will be using the club's oxygen concentrator to melt your metal! It will do the trick quite nicely. A very valuable skill to economize your maker toolbox.

Water Casting **New Class!**
Monday, April 14th, 4pm-8pm
$95/Member, Max 4
Materials Kit $50
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to Register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

This is a class to give you a different taste of casting. This is definitely one of the easier methods to set up in a home studio situation, but certainly still needs ventilation. We will be using the club's oxygen concentrator to melt our metal for casting. This will spark your creativity with new possibilities! There will also be a smaller version shared that can easily be done on your own. Members are encouraged to bring in their scrap silver to use for doing this casting, or there will also be kits available for purchase.

Trouble Shooting Session
Tuesday, April 15th,  2pm-5pm
$45/Member, Maximum 4
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to Register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

**Students are expected to bring their own materials needed for the project they are working on**

Need to get a project done that is just not working out for you? Unsure of how to proceed? Let me help you troubleshoot to get that work done. Have some ideas, but not sure if they will work? Bring those in too! If you have specific questions on what you need to bring with you, please don't hesitate to message me before class. I will be Stewarding this night as well for drop-in, so if you stay for drop-in ($6) you will have another 3 hours of guidance.

Jewellery studios will be open for members with Kiln enameling experience. A Shop materials fee of $5 will be charged  along with the usual $6 drop-in fee. 
 Please have your base metal prepared in advance, and pre-register with Bev at crlcbev@gmail.com.

Basic Lapidary
Friday,  April 19th, 12pm-6pm
$80/member, Max 4
Instructor: Adam Lagace
Email to register: merkury.metals@gmail.com

Have you wanted to give cutting your own cabochons a try? For this low pressure workshop I will take you through the steps of trimming down a slab on the trim saw to grinding your rough shape, to final polish. Material to pick through will be provided. I will also share a shortcut to making round cabochons...