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Date: August 22 & 23, 2026
Times: Saturday & Sunday 10am - 3pm pst w/ 1hr lunch
Level: Beginner (no prior experience required)
Membership Price: $450 (Members use discount code MEMBERS10 at checkout to receive 10% off)
Materials for the class are as follows: $50 for brass; $65-100 for silver (varies by design and size and market volatility)
Workshop Description:
In this workshop you will create your own design from start to finish rooted in symbology. We will explore symbology, discuss and investigate creative design elements and utilise basic traditional metalsmithing techniques in order to create your own unique piece of symbolic jewelry.
Before the start of the session students will be asked to investigate and explore ancient symbology to ultimately arrive at our unique symbols to utilize in our designs utilizing the archive for archetypal symbology. We will do an investigation of symbolism. (Once enrolled in the course an email with resources and examples will be sent)
With your proposals we will then explore and discuss the design elements together, to create either a pendant, bracelet, pair of earrings or ring.
This class is available to those with little or no experience in metal work and to experienced jewelers looking to enrich their creative language. Students will get extensive hands-on experience in the basics of metal work. Basic jewelry practices will be taught including cutting, sawing, filing, soldering, polishing, etc. All necessary tools will be provided by the instructor.
Objectives:
Exploring Symbology: Investigate and reflect on ancient and archetypal symbols to inspire your design. We will utilize resources such as the ARAS (Archive for Archetypal Symbology) to dive into the rich history of symbols.
Design Process: Before the workshop begins, participants will receive an email with resources and examples to help brainstorm symbols they’d like to incorporate into their jewelry. Arrive at the workshop with proposals, and together, we will refine your design.
Create Your own piece: Using your chosen symbol, design and craft a pendant, bracelet, or pair of earrings. Hands-on guidance will be provided throughout the process to ensure a meaningful and well-crafted piece.
About the Instructor:
Brienna Hall:
Brienna holds a bachelor’s degree in sculpture with a minor in fiber arts from the Kansas City Art Institute. Her artistic journey began as a photographer and milliner, where she honed her skills in crafting exquisite headwear and creating ornate, dreamlike imagery. This creative foundation eventually led her to establish Shrine Jewelry, a line that merges her love for adornment with the artistry of fine metalwork. Working from her studio in Mendocino, California, Brienna brings her unique vision to life, drawing inspiration from the rugged beauty of the Northern California coast and the mystic worlds around us. In addition to her work as a jewelry artist, Brienna continues to study photography and teaches workshops on the ancient technique of sand casting precious metals, sharing her expertise.
Her philosophy as a jeweler is rooted in the belief that our bodies are sacred shrines deserving of adornment. Each piece of jewelry is crafted to honor this intimate space, blending organic shapes, repetitive patterns, and textile-inspired techniques with the process of metalsmithing. Through sand casting, fabrication, keum-boo, enamel and textile techniques Brienna creates one-of-a-kind and small collections.
Hanna-Katarina Edwards:
Hanna-Katarina creates one of a kind jewelry, ritual adornments and performance pieces. She works in collaboration creating experimental videos, photography, creative direction and performance in order to tell stories through the body.
Hanna practices ancient and experimental metalsmithing techniques, in addition to working with a variety of materials, found objects and traditional craft processes. Hanna creates adornments for performance and ritual, recontextualized in the landscape of modern life. Her work draws on mythology, mysticism,dreamscapes, archetypal symbology, magic,memories,the subconscious and perspectives of reality. Honoring storytelling traditions of the past while writing a new narrative out of time. Adornments meant to act as deities for the body, enabling the wearer to invoke the sacred through their own embodiment.
Hanna studied metallurgy in New York and Florence, Italy. She currently resides and works between Guadalajara, Mexico and California