Metalwerx is an innovative, educational community focusing on inspiring personal creativity, artistic development, and the acquisition of technical skills.

Mission Statement

Metalwerx is a 501 (c)3 non-profit school and community studio for jewelry making and metal arts located in Waltham, Massachusetts. We offer instruction on a wide range of topics for all jewelers and metalsmiths, from the novice to the professional, in our fully equipped studio. We offer small, personalized classes in a supportive, enthusiastic, community environment.

About Us

Established in 1998, Metalwerx offers professional weekly jewelry classes and short intensive workshops with a personable feel. Members of the Metalwerx community work as teacher’s assistants and school ambassadors, ensuring that your experience is productive and memorable. Our world-class faculty includes Michael Good, Cynthia Eid, Charles Lewton-Brain, Anne Larsen Hollerbach, John Cogswell, and many more.

Weekly Jewelry Classes

For those of you looking for weekly jewelry classes, we offer Jewelry I, Jewelry II, Topic Based Classes, and Directed Open Studio.

• Jewelry I classes provide the basics in jewelry fabrication in soldering, piercing, filing and stone setting.
• Jewelry II and topic-based classes further explore jewelry fabrication in constructing hollow forms, wax work, casting and mold making, enameling, PMC, fusing, classical chains, design and layout. You must have the fundamental skills learned in Jewelry I in order to take these classes.
• Our Directed Open Studio is for those who have taken several Jewelry II level classes and are ready to work independently with the guidance of an instructor

Technical Workshops

If you are thinking about a profession in jewelry, currently attend a bench jewelers program, or work in a jewelry store, we have 2-5 day workshops that will help you hone your skills. Workshops in mechanisms, advanced stone setting, mokume-gane, precious metals, chasing and repoussé, chain-making, soldering and finishing techniques are part of our curriculum. Innovation is at the forefront of our class structure allowing for workshops in the latest techniques with the flexible shaft, hydraulic press, engraving, stone setting for fancy stones, fold forming and special lapidary techniques.

Art in Metals

Our workshops also reflect Metalwerx’s commitment to the metal arts. Investigation in contemporary and conceptual metal arts allows us to explore our innate need to embellish while examining ceremony, ritual and metaphor. Some of the workshops that address these issues are Designing with Stone: Beyond Basic Lapidary with Michael Boyd, Found Object Art with Sarah Doremus, Lend Me Your Ears: Earrings and More with Paulette Werger.

Metalwerx Community

To build a world class school, you need a world class community.

Metalwerx is home to fifteen studiomates – a group of passionate amateurs, bench jewelers, and professionals – who form a vibrant and active community. Studiomates enjoy 24-hour access within a dedicated work area of the building. Each studiomate has his/her own workspace, shares a soldering and polishing area, computer with internet access, specialty tools, kilns, a rolling mill, and the library. If you are interested in becoming part of the Metalwerx Community, please contact us to be put on the waitlist.