Sassy DIY – We try out Hatton Studio’s jewellery workshop!

Hatton Garden is renowned as London’s jewellery quarter, and now we have our very own Hatton Studios right here in Hong Kong! Hatton Studios is a jewellery studio and workshop full of exciting opportunities for all; from the budding jewellery designer to a complete novice ( like me!).  I have no previous experience in jewellery making and I’m also not the most steady handed when it comes to working on a small scale, but I wanted to make my husband something special for our wedding anniversary. Since he is always short of cufflinks, this struck me as the perfect opportunity either to create a stylish statement pair of cufflinks or (more likely) to form two blobs of polished metal and pretend the design was intentional!

The studio is nestled away in the heart of Sheung Wan. As soon as you enter the small (yet functional) space, you can see that this studio means business. Immediately on entering the studio, I felt certain that I would leave the studio after my four-session course feeling confident with metal and owning some jewellery that I (and hopefully my husband) could be proud of. Upon arrival you are greeted by Nathalie Melville, the founder of Hatton Studios & Melville Fine Jewellery, who invites you into her world with a warm smile and a bubbly personality to match.

Nathalie, the studio owner, goldsmith and designer, is a creative and incredibly approachable tutor. She took a very hands-on approach to the course and made the entire process extremely simple and exciting. And with credentials like hers, you know that you’re learning from a pro! Nathalie studied at Saint Martins in London and has worked for many international brands, including Tiffany and Shanghai Tang. She is extremely knowledgeable and will even allow you to book private classes to make an extra special piece.

My workshop comprised four 2.5 hour sessions. The first session was purely intended to get you accustomed to working with metal and to familiarise yourself with the tools you would be using throughout the course, but that did not stop me from making a small pendant to take home that day. This was not only an additional bonus (two pieces of jewellery for the price of one – yes please!) but a very simple way of easing you into the workshop.

Throughout the sessions, I worked with Nathalie on my cufflink design. From marking out the shape to cutting the metal and even adding personal touches such as initialling the back of the cufflinks. I was dying to try my hand at annealing & hammering metal, which I thought would create the perfect finish to the face of my cufflinks. Not only did the hammering process create a stylish pair of cufflinks – it was also surprisingly therapeutic!

When all the filing and soldering is complete and you have added any finishing touches, you have to say goodbye to your cherished pieces (not for long) while they go into the barrel polisher to develop that final bling!

I have nothing but great things to say about this workshop. Not only did the experience leave me wanting to make more jewellery (which I am already discussing with Nathalie), but my husband was delighted with his bespoke present (he even thought I had bought them – maybe he was just trying to flatter me?!). Definitely worth checking out, especially if you’re looking to try something different and get in touch with your creative side!

The workshop costs $2,750 for four weeks (one session a week), which includes the materials. Sign up now; you won’t be disappointed! Email [email protected] for more information. 

Hatton Studios, Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, www.hattonstudios.com