As part of Scottish Jewellery Week, Vanilla Ink and the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust have partnered up on ‘Making Jewellery Work’, a one-day symposium which looks at the next steps for jewellers at all levels, and the jewellery industry as whole, in Scotland today.

Founded in 2009, Vanilla Ink offers a unique bridge from education in to the industry, providing mentoring, business training and support to emerging jewellers. The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust, the charitable arm of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Assay Office, is dedicated to the education and preservation of the art and craft of gold and silversmithing in Scotland.

Combining the strengths of the two organisations, ‘Making Jewellery Work’ will explore subjects including the face of the current jewellery industry in Scotland today, trends in the wider industry and their effect on smaller businesses and the approaches of different jewellery designers in developing collections and their markets, with speakers including Fi Scott of Make Works; Scott Walter, Assay Master, Edinburgh Assay Office and jewellers Sofus Graae, Smith/Grey and Georgia Wiseman. Taking place on the same day as the launch of the Vanilla Ink’s End of Year Show, the ‘graduating’ Inkers will also be reflecting on their experiences.

The event will also include the ‘Meet and Make’ lunch, featuring showcases from MAKLab, Cloud 9, Gemstones Brazil and our ‘5 Years On’ makers, Jane Gowans, Katie Lees, Hannah Livingstone and Heather McDermott. The lunch will be an ideal opportunity for sharing knowledge and skills and for some informal networking.

The symposium is free to attend and the optional ‘Meet & Make’ lunch is £10 (plus £1.50 booking fee).

(Please note if purchasing a ticket for the lunch you must also have purchased a free Symposium ticket)