Hoorah, finally, we moved house! It was an incredibly long process (as these things always are) and its been a very chaotic month but we are now slowly settling in. The big move has also meant a move for Narratorium's studio. We've got a completely different space to work so I thought I best get planning and put together my list of essentials and style ideas for a great jeweller's studio.

Storage inspiration, Ikea. Image from Pinterest.

A Jeweller's Workbench

At the heart of any good jeweller's studio is a really good workbench. It's really worth investing in a decent one as it can last a life time and make a huge difference to the quality and efficiency of a jeweller's work. It's a slightly higher height that a regular desk or table, with a peg that's set at chest height that's central to almost every part of a jeweller's work. This workbench below is from Cookson Gold and is top of my list for the new studio.

Tool Organisation

A good jeweller can't work efficiently if they're not organised, so thinking about how best to store all of my tools is next on my list. They need to be arranged into different categories, such as filing, forming, polishing, soldering etc and need to be close to hand. Desk caddies and various tool stands are really useful, but I might also try and plan some sort of tool wall for hanging everything, as above. when all tools are super visible it makes it really easy to get to what you want.

Safety First

A jeweller's workshop can be a hazardous place to work with lots of dangerous tools, so its really important to make sure you create a safe place to work. There are a few items that are absolutely essential for working safely. A bench skin is one of them, a fire retardant leather skin that sits underneath the central working area or bench peg. It will catch dust and debris from sawing and filing, as well as anything hot that might fall off whilst soldering or heating. Other essentials include goggles, masks, fire blankets and a fire extinguisher.

Good Light

Good light is crucial for working at the bench, its important for showing detail whilst crafting, as well as flagging up scratches or firescale when polishing. Placing the workbench next to a window provides good natural light as well as important ventilation, so this is where I'm hoping to put mine. I will also be investing in a new lamp for the days when natural light isn't so good and for when I'm working late into the night!

Space

Finally, there are many facets to my business that require different working areas. For example, I need a regular desk for my computer so that I can process all my admin, manage social media and other web based activities. I also want to set up a more permanent area for photographing all of my products, so that I can shoot more efficiently.

Style & Decor

Lastly, the fun part - thinking about style and decor. Ultimately it's got to be practical. A jeweller's work area is never dust or dirt free. Painted floorboards seem a good idea, so that they can be wiped down in case of spillage and show up tiny bits of silver that I'm forever losing!

As it's a working area with tools and equipment, it's naturally going to have an industrial feel about it, so I'm going to fully embrace that. I'm hoping to source some metal and wood industrial style shelving and cabinets to complete the studio's productive, hard working vibe!

Industrial style metal noticeboard, notonthehighstreet.com

Above is some of the inspiration I've found so far, and you can see more online at www.pinterest.co.uk/narratorium

Setting up a jewellery workshop