Mission Statement

Metalwerx Inc. is a 501 C #, non-profit Jewelry School and Community Studio focused on jewelry and the metal arts.  Metalwerx recognizes the capacity for creative expression inherent in each individual and is dedicated to enabling that expression.  The mission of Metalwerx is to enrich people’s lives by exposing them to a creative, stimulating environment, expertly taught classes and a community of dedicated practitioners with a focus in metals.

Metalwerx offers year round jewelry and metal arts classes and workshops for students of all ages and summer programs for teens.  Curricula include: metal working techniques, creative problem solving, design, and the tangential application of math, history, physics, geology, and chemistry.

Metalwerx is committed to educating the public about the history of metalwork and the value of contemporary metalwork in the world.

About Us:

Established in 1998 and located in Waltham, Massachusetts, Metalwerx offers professional weekly jewelry classes and short intensive workshops with a personable feel.  When you first walk in the door, you are greeted by one of our smiling staff. 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, Valentin Yotkov, Cynthia Eid, Anne Larsen Hollerbach, Diane Alymeda, James Binnion, and many more.

Weekly Jewelry Classes

For those of you looking for weekly jewelry classes, we offer Jewelry I and Jewelry II and Directed Open Studio.  Jewelry I provide the basics in jewelry fabrication in soldering, piercing, filing and stone setting.  Jewelry II further explores jewelry fabrication in constructing hollow forms, wax work, casting and moldmaking, enameling, PMC, fusing, classical chains, design and layout.  Our Directed Open Studio are 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, pave and flush stone setting, mokume-gane, chasing and repoussé, classical chain-making and granulation 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 that address these issues are Amulets and Talismans with Robert Dancik, Art by Accident with Fred Woell and Art of the Tin Can with Bobby Hansson.

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 their 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.

Checkout Metalwerx current classes and workshops.