Ever dreamt of taking a wedding ring workshop where you make your own (or each other’s) custom fit wedding bands? Well if you’re in Canberra you’re in luck, because now you can! The talented Ingrid from KIN Gallery in The Hamlet on Lonsdale Street in Braddon can teach you everything you need to know! The tradition of exchanging wedding rings is just one way of symbolising your commitment to each other, and there a lots of alternative options like tattoos or other types of jewellery.
This is one of many blog posts in our series on the entire process of planning a wedding. You can read the other blog posts in our planning a wedding series here.
How to Make Your Wedding Ring
The first step in the process was meeting for a consultation with Ingrid to discuss what designs we’d like. Lyndon decided on a two tone silver and rose gold ring with a comfort fit. I decided on a rose gold ring with a hammered texture and a single diamond. We’re not going to pretend that we are expert jewellers though, and we recommend that you speak to a professional for advice on the design and materials for your own wedding rings.
The workshop itself was a full day of learning and making. The silver and rose gold metals start out as flat strips that we had to file, heat and bend into shape. We learnt basic fabrication methods like annealing and soldering, and finishing methods including texturing, stamping and polishing. Lyndon’s was particularly hard because I had to make two individual rings and join them together. We are pretty chuffed with the end result, and you’ll have to wait until after the wedding to see proper photos of the finished product! Our two unique wedding rings with all their imperfections can never be exactly replicated. We highly recommend taking a workshop if you like the idea of having personalised custom rings.
Wedding Ring Workshop Details
Class fee is $200 per person for your own private workshop. The cost of materials depends on the design of your ring and what you’d like to make your ring out of. KIN also offer a beginner level 925 silver band workshop where you can make your own custom fit silver ring, and personalise it through different finishing methods. Price per student is $220 which includes all required materials, tools and personalised instruction.
If you walk into KIN and it feels familiar, then that’s probably because it used to be known as Fivefold across the road in Lonsdale Street Traders. We’re glad they stuck around because they’re our favourite jewellery store in Canberra! They run workshops and hold exhibitions, and they also do an awesome job of supporting emerging artists. Ingrid pictured below, making magic in the old Lonsdale Street Traders space.
