Tell me about it

Who says jewellery has to be silver or gold? Let's add some COLOUR! 🌈

Welcome to the extraordinary world of niobium anodising! Join award-winning jeweller and silversmith Alice Fry at Vanilla Ink CIC in Glasgow for an immersive two-day workshop exploring one of the most colourful and fascinating techniques in contemporary jewellery making.

Niobium is a remarkable metal that can produce an incredible spectrum of vibrant, iridescent colours through a process called anodising. Unlike painting or applying a coloured coating, anodising uses electricity to alter the thickness of a transparent oxide layer on the metal's surface. The way light interacts with that layer creates those extraordinary colours, from rich blues and purples to shimmering greens, pinks and golden tones.

Science AND jewellery making? We're absolutely here for it! Over two days, Alice will introduce you to the science behind anodising before guiding you through a range of practical techniques for creating colour, patterns and decorative effects. You'll explore how voltage, surface preparation and different application methods influence the finished result, experimenting with both niobium and titanium as you develop your understanding of the process. You'll also discover how traditional jewellery-making techniques can be combined with anodising to create exciting new textures and effects.

And because we love a bit of creative freedom at Vanilla Ink, there'll be plenty of opportunities to experiment, test ideas and explore your own approach to this extraordinary material. By the end of the weekend, you'll have created a collection of colourful samples and your own finished niobium design, along with the knowledge and confidence to continue exploring anodising in your jewellery practice.

Two days, a little electricity and a whole lot of colour!

Can I do this class?

Already got some jewellery-making experience and fancy exploring something completely different? This one's for you! Our Niobium Anodising workshop is designed for jewellers and makers who have some previous experience working with metal. You don't need to know anything about niobium or anodising before attending. Alice will introduce you to the science, equipment and techniques step by step.

However, you'll need a basic understanding of traditional metalworking processes, particularly piercing, filing and hammering. These skills will help you prepare your metal, develop your designs and work confidently on your final piece.

This workshop is particularly suitable for:

• Jewellers looking to introduce vibrant colour into their designs

• Makers interested in alternative metals and contemporary techniques

• Silversmiths wanting to explore decorative surface treatments

• Designers interested in pattern, texture and experimental materials

• Experienced makers looking for fresh creative inspiration

If you already enjoy techniques such as engraving, chasing, repoussé, roll printing or carving, you'll also have opportunities to explore how those skills can be combined with anodising. And don't worry if your designs tend to be more restrained. Niobium can produce beautifully subtle effects as well as wonderfully bold colours.

Not sure whether you've got enough experience? Just get in touch and we'll happily help you decide.

What happens?

Over two days, you'll explore the science, techniques and creative possibilities of niobium anodising, progressing from practical experiments to developing your own finished piece.

Day One: Discovering the Science of Colour

Let's start with a little bit of science! Alice will begin with an illustrated presentation introducing her journey into working with niobium, the principles behind anodising and how this remarkable process can be used in contemporary jewellery. You'll learn how electricity creates colour on the surface of the metal and why different voltages produce different effects. Then it's time to get experimenting!

Alice will demonstrate a range of anodising techniques, including:

• Masking: Creating sharp lines, patterns and areas of contrasting colour

• Painting: Applying colour selectively using controlled techniques

• Sponging: Building soft, textured and blended effects

• Dipping: Exploring colour changes through immersion and voltage control

You'll spend the rest of the day practising these techniques using niobium offcuts and titanium samples. Working with materials such as tape, scalpels, brushes and pencils, you'll experiment with different ways of controlling colour and creating decorative patterns. You'll explore how preparation, surface texture and application methods influence the finished result. And you'll quickly discover that even a small change in technique can produce a completely different effect!

Experimenting with Texture

Anodising isn't just about colour. You'll also have opportunities to explore how traditional metalworking techniques can be combined with the process to create more complex surfaces.

Depending on your existing skills and interests, you might experiment with:

• Hammered textures

• Roll printing

• Engraving

• Chasing and repoussé

• Carving and mark-making with a pendant drill

These techniques can create exciting contrasts between colour, texture and light, opening up new possibilities for contemporary jewellery design.

A Note About Titanium

You'll also use titanium during the workshop as an affordable material for practising anodising techniques. Titanium generally produces softer, less vivid colours than niobium under the conditions used in this class, making it useful for experimentation before moving on to your final design. Towards the end of Day One, Alice will help you begin planning your finished piece. Perhaps you'd like to make a pair of earrings, a pendant, a decorative bookmark or something entirely different. The choice is yours!

Day Two: Designing & Anodising Your Own Piece

Now it's time to put everything you've learned into practice! On Day Two, you'll begin working with your own 3 × 3 inch sheet of 0.51mm niobium, provided as part of the workshop. You'll develop your design with Alice's guidance, considering the shape, surface texture, colour combinations and anodising techniques you'd like to use.

You'll explore:

• Planning a design suitable for anodising

• Preparing and shaping your niobium

• Developing colour combinations

• Combining masking and application techniques

• Controlling voltage to achieve different colours

• Creating decorative patterns and surface effects

• Refining and finishing your piece

Alice will provide individual support throughout the day, helping you troubleshoot problems, refine your techniques and make the most of your design. You'll have the freedom to experiment while developing a considered finished piece that reflects your own creative interests. And if you finish early and fancy exploring further, additional niobium will be available to purchase during the workshop.

Sharing Your Discoveries

Towards the end of the afternoon, we'll bring everyone's finished work and samples together for a relaxed group discussion. It's an opportunity to share your discoveries, compare techniques and reflect on the different approaches you've explored. You'll also discuss how anodising could become part of your wider jewellery practice, whether as an occasional decorative technique or an entirely new creative direction. By the end of the weekend, you'll have created your own finished niobium design, developed a collection of colourful samples and gained a practical understanding of this extraordinary process.

And we suspect you'll never look at a plain piece of metal quite the same way again!

Do I need to bring anything?

We'll provide the essential equipment and materials needed for the workshop, including niobium and titanium for experimentation. You'll also receive a 3 × 3 inch sheet of 0.51mm niobium for your final project.

Please bring a sketchbook or notebook, along with any design ideas, drawings or inspiration you'd like to explore.

Everyone will have their own fully equipped jeweller's bench, with access to our professional workshop tools and equipment.

What about additional materials?

If you'd like to purchase extra niobium during the workshop, please bring a payment card or some money. Silver is not included in the class. If you're planning a design that incorporates silver components, please bring your own materials and discuss your ideas with Alice before beginning.

Please tie back long hair, avoid open-toed shoes and keep loose-fitting clothing to a minimum. And if you need glasses or magnification for close-up work, remember to bring them. Some of these techniques involve rather fiddly details!

Who is teaching me?

Alice Fry is an award-winning jeweller and silversmith who graduated with a First from The Glasgow School of Art before training at the prestigious Bishopsland Educational Trust. During her time there, she won The Jane Goodman Award, enabling her to continue her research into niobium with anodising specialist Brian Eburah.

Alice has exhibited internationally, including at MAD About Jewelry in New York, The Scottish Gallery, London Craft Week, and the world-renowned Goldsmiths’ Fair. She is one of a very small number of UK makers specialising in niobium anodising, and the only teacher offering niobium anodising classes for jewellery in Scotland and England.

Her teaching combines deep technical knowledge with playful exploration, creating the perfect learning environment for this vibrant, experimental material.

The details

🔨 Full weekend course
🕑 10am – 6pm daily [includes a 1-hour lunch break, 1pm – 2pm]
📅 Sat 24th & Sun 25th July

Why Book with Vanilla Ink?

At Vanilla Ink, we believe there's always something new to learn, no matter how long you've been making jewellery. Our Professional Classes give makers the opportunity to develop specialist skills, explore traditional techniques and learn directly from talented craftspeople who are experts in their fields.

We keep our workshops welcoming, practical and focused on genuine skill development, with experienced tutors who are passionate about sharing their knowledge. Whether you're looking to expand your creative practice, improve your technical confidence or introduce a new technique into your work, we're here to help you take that next step.

We're also a Community Interest Company, which means every class you book helps us deliver creative programmes supporting people experiencing disadvantage, isolation and barriers to opportunity. So while you're developing your own skills, you're helping someone else discover theirs.

Educate. Inspire. Empower. That's what we're all about.

All prices are inclusive of VAT.

Students must be aged 16 or over.

Good eyesight and hand dexterity are important for detailed jewellery making.

Please read our full Terms & Conditions and Cancellation Policies before booking.

Vanilla Ink CIC
60 Brook Street
Glasgow
G40 2AB