Exclusive Jewellery reviews

Carole H reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"After my one-and-a-half-hour drive, Lucy welcomes me with a relaxing hot drink – especially useful as winter approaches. We then review the project, agree on a plan and proceed to a wonderful day of jewellery making. Lucy is a great teacher with lots of patience, keen to encourage creativity, and I continue to learn a lot."

Cara reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"Absolutely loved the two day course with Lucy. She is such a good teacher, I loved the one to one sessions and Lucy made me feel very comfortable! The workshop is well equipped and her garden is so beautiful. She has taught me many useful skills and I can’t wait to go back and learn more 😊"

Exclusive Jewellery responded:

" Thank you so much for your review Cara. It will be great if you can come back for another session as you have a natural talent which you can continue to develop as you expand your technical knowledge."

Ruth reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"Did the jewellery making taster course and had a fantastic day with Lucy. Came away with a completed pendant and Lecy was as invested in the project as I was. Lucy also provided comprehensive 'how to' instructions via email. "

Nikki reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"I arrived at Lucy’s workshop earlier this month for a one day beginner course in jewellery making. As a complete novice I was excited but a little apprehensive not knowing what to expect. Lucy immediately put me at ease. Having previously discussed my project via phone calls and email discussions, we got started practising on some scrap copper. Lucy explained the processes in detail prior to demonstrating and then it was my turn. Having practised on the copper, I felt much more confident when starting to work on the silver. I learnt so many new skills and before I knew it the day was over. Lucy was very supportive and provided lots of guidance both before and during the workshop. It was an extremely enjoyable experience and I came away with two lovely unique silver rings which fit perfectly. I had an absolutely fabulous day and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Lucy’s workshops. "

Exclusive Jewellery responded:

" Thank you, Nikki, for your detailed review. You have lots of potential - creative hands! I hope you will get an opportunity to come back for another session some day. All best wishes Lucy"

Jayne Sutherland reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"This is a great introductory course for anyone wanting to explore working with enamel. As Lucy said using enamels is a bit like baking and it's possible to produce finished pieces relatively quickly. By the end of the day, I had several sets of earrings and pendants to take home. Lucy will show you how to choose and combine enamel colours and how to apply these to your pieces (I used a mixture of copper and silver blanks) All the pieces are fired on the day and ready to take away. A very enjoyable and rewarding day."

Robert & Rachel Powell reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"Not our first visit to Lucy's workshop and as previous reviewers have mentioned it probably won't be the last. This time my wife and I made our wedding rings and Lucy did an excellent job of providing us with information relating to design and consulting with us on our designs prior to the course to ensure we had the correct materials and that we would have enough time on the course to complete them. Lucy makes you feel welcome and at home in her workshop and gardens and we had a great time learning the techniques and putting them into practice under Lucy's close supervision. We couldn't recommend her highly enough, particularly if you enjoy learning and making things or want to become a jeweller yourself. "

Exclusive Jewellery responded:

" Hi Robert and Rachel Thank you for your lovely review. I'm so glad we got such good results for you both, and hope to see you again one day. Lucy "

Robin reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"This was my first visit to lucy's workshop and certainly won't be the last. Lucy was very patient and knowledgeable and enjoyed her subject. Her creativity is inspiring, and she is an excellent teacher and happy to listen to your ideas and help you make your designs. Lucy ensures her students enjoy their day and offers thorough and focused tuition. With one-to-one tuition, you learn so much. Thank you, Lucy."

Sally reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"Spent a day with Lucy focusing on soldering and I enjoyed it immensely. Lucy listened carefully to what I needed and what experience I’d had and tailored the day accordingly. The workshop is fantastic and so well equipped. I learnt how to make jump rings, which I’d never done before and I came away feeling much more confident about soldering. I’m now looking forward to finishing my bracelet at home. Information sheets provided before the course were great, and afterwards, Lucy sent me more information and pictures of key areas of the pieces we were soldering so that I can now refer back to them. Lucy was patient and encouraging and I was well looked after all day. Highly recommended, and I’ll be returning ASAP!"

Jude reviewed: Stacking ring making in the Vale of Clwyd

"What a thoroughly fabulous day with Lucy in her amazing studio! Lucy was very knowledgeable, patient and supportive from the initial ring sizing, through to designing, creating, resizing and finishing the beautiful stacking rings which will be used in my civil partnership ceremony next week. Three rings, each one unique, which represent myself, my son and my partner, as our little family becomes official. It was a truly magical experience transforming 3 plain straight 'lines' into textured and embellished shiny circles. The time flew by as a complete novice I tried new things and learnt new words / phrases.....who knew silver liked pickle!"

Ian McCabe reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"I was booked on a one day silversmithing course at Lucy’s which I received as a Christmas gift. The course was originally to make stacking rings, however, when I arrived we discussed the possibility of making one abstract design ring instead. As I have a background in metalwork (not jewellery!) Lucy thought that this would be achievable for me. We spent the first part of the day designing, planning and discussing techniques and preferences. Lucy was incredibly helpful and patient with me, and, with her expert knowledge she guided me though making a template,trying out embossing on copper and eventually cutting and making the ring in silver. The whole experience was an absolute pleasure and I learned a lot in a short time. Lucy is a lovely lady and although I didn’t quite have time to finish the ring on the day, she supported me with advice over the phone and via email to help me to finish the project at home. She was unstinting in passing on her knowledge and I would love to return for another course."

Edna reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"This visit was a continuation of stone setting and exploring different types of ear wires. In addition I was exploring with Lucy, books on historical pieces which were really interesting. I’m now all fired up not only for this project but breathing life into ideas I have for future projects. Making the difference between ordinary and extraordinary"

Carole H reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"I gain so much knowledge each time I visit Lucy.She is a great teacher who is always keen to encourage you to challenge yourself in technique and creativity."

Exclusive Jewellery responded:

" Thank you Carole. You determination and attention to detail will get you through this very demanding project. Looking forward to your next session when we can continue. Lucy"

Carole H reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"The jump rings process continues! In addition, Lucy spent time during the day explaining how to set up a mouth blown torch, including adjusting the pilot light, changing the nozzles for different flame sizes, and general maintenance. All totally brilliant, useful stuff! Thank you Lucy. Can’t wait to continue my project."

Edna reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"Today was all about stone setting. Following on from a previous session I had prepared a Mount which just needed tidying up. Once again Lucy was able to give advice on how to do it without scratching the silver. When it came to the stone I realised why Lucy is a master crafts woman. No matter how we tried the stone wouldn’t stay in its mount. With a lot of perseverance and some methods only known to Lucy it has finally stayed put. I can’t wait for the next session to put all that I have learned together."

Carole H reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"This time a new leap forward with my loop-in-loop project! After some continuation of the jump ring production line, it was time to try the weaving process. First a set of rings are stretched into a paper clip shape. It takes three of these overlapped to form a ‘star’ before they are bent into a combined intricate shape – no easy task! Thankfully, Lucy was there to show me how to do it. Another enjoyable and satisfying day. Thank you Lucy."

Carole H reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"Since my last visit Lucy has been extremely helpful in finding various sources of information on chain making for me to follow up. We are continuing with the ancient technique of loop-in-loop chain making as before but still researching for alternative ideas. Hundreds and hundreds are needed for a wearable chain length so any improvements in efficiency would be of great benefit! So we took another short break in the day to consider ways the ancients might possibly have worked. Lucy remembered a fellow student at the RCA doing a similar chain and kindly emailed her for me. Looking forward to more jewellery making after Christmas. A big thank you Lucy for all your great teaching and support."

Carol H reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"Another visit to Lucy that was full of fun! Drawdown of large lengths of silver wire. So long, I had to leave the studio to continue pulling them through the drawplate. In the afternoon we set up a production line. Lucy prepared the jump rings for me, and then I soldered them, which quickened up the task, and by the end of the day we had finished quite a few. Thank you Lucy."

Edna reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"Today I had two projects in mind. The continuation of my earrings that from a simple design, to begin with, have presented challenges which with Lucy’s guidance have developed and been overcome. My new challenge is making something out of titanium discs. As usual, Lucy guided my imagination into what is realistic and possible."

Lydia reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"This course was money well spent. Having a little previous experience working with copper and silver, I was amazed at the speed of learning when working with 1 to 1 tuition compared to previous courses elsewhere that were as part of a group. I have learned so many skills and improved my knowledge and technique over the course of 2 sessions with Lucy, that I feel confident in tackling similar projects at home. Lucy is very encouraging and gives clear easy to follow instruction. She is a fantastic tutor and is very patient! If I hadn't moved abroad I would have booked more sessions. I was also very impressed with Lucy's thorough safety measures, including those in place to eliminate risks of Covid. I felt very safe, and the workshop was spotless!"

Exclusive Jewellery responded:

" Thank you Lydia. Your project was very successful and well chosen to encompass new techniques, and produced a very attractive and wearable piece of jewellery. Stay safe. Lucy"

Carole H reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"Beautiful October day back at Lucy’s to finish a project I started 20+ years ago - before life got in the way! We started gently with a cup of tea and a chat about my design. I want to change it from earrings to a pendant by joining two hollow semi-spheres into a single globe-shaped bead. Lucy taught me to start with a sample: a scrap of the gold I had used with gold solder - to test the colour match. It worked well. As a fountain of knowledge she is always keen to get your piece to a high standard. The weather was nice enough to enjoy lunch in Lucy’s pretty garden. Afterwards, having noticed the two halves weren’t an exact match, we used a doming punch to make them marry better. I want to make a hand made chain for my pendant and - with Lucy’s guidance – after researching online and in her brilliant reference books, I decided to follow a technique dating back 500 years called “Loop in Loop “. The time flies by and, after a wonderful day, it’s time to stop until my next visit. Thank you, Lucy."

Exclusive Jewellery responded:

" Thank you for this fabulous review Carole and so glad we had that wonderful autumn sunshine. Engaging with the chain making process, though monotonous, also provides the best exercise for soldering. Look forward to when you can continue your project here."

Edna reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"After a long hiatus due to Covid restrictions I finally managed to book another session with Lucy. Like a familiar glove we soon had reviewed progress on my earrings project and moved on to the next stage. I recently attended another jewellery class and realised the skills that I have gained from Lucy put me in good stead to approach the lesson with complete confidence. On our one to one session I have gained so many tips and advice that I wouldn’t have received in a class with other students so for me it is of excellent value to come to Lucy on a regular basis."

Tricia Boateng reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"I have previously had some lovely days with Lucy and completed a brooch and two bangles. One for my daughter who is so pleased with it she has never taken it off since I gave it to her! With my wedding coming up and after a chat with Lucy I decided to go for an ambitious wedding present for my husband to be. Lucy supported and encouraged me in the design and making of a very complicated piece - a round silver box with an etched top. At every stage I was treated to a kind, patient and informative style of teaching. Plus an excellent coffee to start me off! I have so enjoyed the days spent in Lucy’s company and in her workshop. Not only is it a haven in which to leave the stresses of daily life behind but it is somewhere to explore one’s creative potential - Lucy is always a step ahead with ideas and support. My husband loves his special, unique, box (thankfully finished before lockdown!) and it is a family treasure now to pass on."

Emma reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"Lucy's workshop is idyllic; my friend and I booked in for a ring making session in February and the day was brilliant. Lucy's advice and expertise were invaluable and I am very pleased with my finished ring stacking project. I had an ambitious design which we compromised on to learn the basics and I'm glad we did. Thoroughly enjoyed myself and would love to return one day!"

Exclusive Jewellery responded:

" Hi Emma, Thanks for your lovely review. I do hope we will have an opportunity to meet again in the future. All best wishes and stay safe. Lucy"

Paula Evans reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"I arrived at Lucys workshop with no previous jewellery experience. At the end of the day I had practiced so many different techniques. Lucy explains everything so precisely and lets you work at your own pace and puts you so much at ease, so that you feel you can ask any question. My boat pendant was ambitious and I am absolutely delighted with it. I am looking forward to returning soon. Thank you."

Carol H reviewed: Jewellery making for beginners in the Vale of Clwyd

"I have finished my bangle – a quite involved project where I have learned so much with Lucy's expert guidance and help. For the photos, Lucy had the great idea of using long black gloves to show off the bangle to its best advantage and searched out a pair of her own. There was a chance to start on my next project – a chain inspired by my mother's far-eastern bracelet. Lucy came up with how the bracelet's chain link was assembled and started to have a go at making a jig while I got on with final polishing. Thanks, Lucy for all your help"