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    Jewelryclassdc

    4.9 (32 reviews)
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    Updated 2 months ago

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    Recommended Reviews - Jewelryclassdc

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    I was able to make this sterling silver twisted wrap ring on day one of metals 1!!
    Patricia B.

    JewelryClassDC is a wonderful place to learn goldsmithing/jewelry & Dan is the best instructor ever! He's truly an expert & a great dude . You'll learn a ton and have lots of fun too! Can't recommend it enough

    Soldering demo from Dan during class.

    Pros: Excellent Teacher, Best Tools and Workshop, Amazing Community. Cons: Highly addicting! I've been taking classes at Dan's studio for over 3 years and frankly can't seem to stop. The studio is fully equipped with any kind of goldsmithing tool you could imagine, modern or old-fashioned. The class sizes are small enough to get plenty of one-on-one assistance. The projects each semester are different and offer new skills to learn. Most importantly, the skills Dan teaches are the real deal, learning techniques in hammer forging, soldering, fabricating heavy bezels, and working in sterling silver. Dan is a master goldsmith and an excellent teacher. Classes are an amazing creative experience but also really fun. If you're thinking about learning more about the art and engineering of jewelry metalsmithing, or just want to learn a new skill for fun, this is the place to do it.

    Various rings made at JewelryClassDC
    William W.

    I have a very special someone in my life and I wanted to get the right engagement ring for them but I'm also on a budget. I also wanted a ring that showed my dedication to the relationship and so I wanted to make it myself. I looked up JewelryClassDC and contacted Dan. After a brief phone call with what I felt like was an overwhelming project, Dan broke it down into a quick and super affordable estimate and we met the following week to discuss it in person. Next thing I knew, we ordered a stone, Dan had me create a silver ingot, forge it into a beautiful ring and suddenly I had this amazing ring that was the perfect engagement ring. Not only did I create an awesome ring, but Dan had given me this awesome knowledge to utilize the proper tools, general etiquette in a professional studio and a desire to learn more! Shortly after making the engagement ring, I took the metals I class with my fiancé for our date night which was a blast! Since then I've made tons of rings, a bracelet, a necklace, and a silver wedding band for myself. I'm planning on making a gold wedding band, a pendant with matching earrings, rings for my kids and a ton more projects. The satisfaction of creating something beautiful that you can wear or give as a gift is unmatched and having the confidence and knowledge to do it yourself is so liberating! Dan makes the learning process fun, he gives his students the opportunity to try and learn in the process and walk away with more than just a piece of jewelry. If you've ever been interested in learning to make jewelry, I highly recommend JewelryClassDC!!!

    Sterling silver wire ring made in the Intro Class.
    Stu H.

    I have taken the Intro Class and two of the Advanced classes at Jewelry Class DC and I've been extremely happy with the classes and Dan Valencia, who's been the instructor for all three. I've never been what you would describe as a very artistic person, but the classes at Jewelry Class DC have helped my bring out my creative side. Dan walks the students through every step of the process for making the pieces, and then helps you to customize the jewelry to match your style (or in my case, my girlfriend's style.) Each student gets their own jewelry bench, fully equipped with with all the tools you need (and plenty more that you learn to use along the way.) Dan is always very patient with the students and is always willing to help if there are questions about the projects, or just about metalwork in general. I've really enjoyed that he doesn't just tell us what to do with the silver, copper, or gold and move on, but he describes how the metal acts when you're working with it. Mostly importantly, he describes why it acts that way, and what you need to anticipate when you're using either a hammer, file, or flame. Several of the people in the classes with me have been interested in setting up their own bench at home and Dan has been very good at telling them what tools them will probably need, and which ones they can do without. Every few months, Dan also invites a gem wholesaler to come by the studio for a day and sell all the students gemstones at really good prices. If you are at all interested in learning to make jewelry, either for yourself or someone else, I highly recommend Jewelry Class DC.

    Shelby T.

    I am thrilled to have found Dan Valencia and Jewelry Class DC. I just completed my second round of classes, first Metals I and then II, and a flush setting workshop. I love this place! I would be here every day if I could! The facilities are amazing. The tools, machines, and materials available to students are top notch. The students are wonderful and I am very pleased find an organic sense of community. I felt that we all, despite our various levels of competence coming into the program, progressed tremendously. We all break things along the way, make mistakes, don't understand...but Dan is always there to provide support and guidance to bridge the gaps, and to get us all back on track and in control. Not only is Dan an elite goldsmith, he is a passionate teacher and is committed to driving his students to perform at their best. His mastery of tools is in and of itself, worth a class. Just teaching me the basics has blown open the doors to new ways of designing and approaching my work. Bottom line, you cannot go wrong taking a class or a workshop from Dan or any of the instructors.

    Chasing the vine texture into the band, using special punches and a chasing hammer
    Edgar S.

    I stumbled across JewelryClassDC (JCDC) while searching for the engagement ring that I'd present to my girlfriend when I proposed. I wanted to find something unique and interesting - one of a kind, like her. She was't interested in a diamond, and wanted something that looked handmade and resembled nature - much unlike many of the cookie-cutter styles I was finding during my ring search. So while scanning through Google I found the website of JCDC, called the phone number to leave a message, and Dan Called me back later that day. Dan Valencia is the owner/instructor of JCDC, and his niece Emily also teaches some fun classes. I described the idea to Dan that I'd like to work with him to build an engagement ring, and wanted his feedback as to whether this would be possible. Luckily he assured me that we could do anything I wanted, so I committed to the project. As per Dan's advice, I enrolled in his fall '14 jewelry class, in order to learn the skills that would be needed to make my ring. Engagement ring aside, this class was so much fun. The class consists of 8 3-hour sessions, held once a week. On the very first day, I made a ring out of a piece of Sterling silver; completely amazed that I could make such a beautiful thing. By the end of the class, each student makes several pieces of jewelry, all out of Sterling silver. For the record, Dan is a professional goldsmith, and as he told me during our first phone conversation, is particularly skilled at stonesetting - something that would be important when building my ring. I also can't imagine that there could be a more entertaining and wildly talented instructor than Dan. There are several things that set this class apart from other classes that I've since looked into. All projects are done using Sterling silver, which is quite unique to JCDC style. The classroom has a professional workbench for each student, and is stocked with a surplus of quality tools. Dan has a great appreciation for traditional techniques of jewelry making, as well as antique tools. You'll find many of these interesting tools and gadgets lining the walls of the shop. Students learn how to properly solder and forge jewelry, while having access to many unique tools and direct access to the instructor. The classes are small, so students have great supervising focus from Dan or Emily. This class is for anyone who wants to learn traditional techniques of metal working; you will NOT use any molds for your jewelry design. My experience is an excellent example of this. I made a rough sketch of the ring that I had in mind before working with Dan. I went to several jewelry makers in the DC area, showed them the ring and explained what I had in mind, and everyone told me that this piece would have to be made using a mold (casting). This would involve using rubber or wax to mold the design, and using that to create the gold design. Dan was the only person I found who was dead-set against casting. His explanation: "casting is an easy way to create a metal design, but the finished product will not be nearly as strong and durable as it would be if we were to make it by hand - by using tools and forging by hand". Forging and soldering, when done properly, produces an extremely durable and beautiful product, which can not be replicated. I now have a fiance (she said yes), with a one-of-a-kind engagement ring. She loves it. She loves telling people that I built it with Dan. We are planning to work with Dan to design our wedding bands before our wedding this September. She will build my ring, and I'll build hers. How awesome is that?!

    I started my journey at JewelryClass DC in August of 2019. What started as an interest in trying something new turned into a full time pursuit and passion. I cannot recommend this studio enough. Under the guidance of Daniel Valencia, owner and master goldsmith, I turned a creative outlet into a full time career. I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful the studio is. It's the most well equipped and beautifully designed art studio I have ever been in. Daniel is an incredible teacher that honors whatever your goals are. Whether it's to dabble in creativity, create your own wedding band or learn the art of jewelry making from the beginning - this is the place you must come to. Classes range from beginner to advanced. I started by taking a 3 day workshop then entered the ten month extended program. It was one of the best decisions of my life. There is not a tool you could want for that isn't already housed at JewelryClass DC. Before Covid - the extended classes even go to the Jewelry district together in NYC to learn the art of buying gems and networking in the industry. It was an outstanding learning experience. The other students at the school are a wealth of knowledge as well. This school and it's teachers are truly remarkable and welcoming. I give it my highest recommendation.

    Level I Sterling Wire Ring

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    2 years ago

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    Daniel V.

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    Thank you Diana!

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    Thanks so much for the wonderful review Meredith!

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    3 years ago

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    Daniel V.

    Thanks Bruce! Laura and I loved helping you two!

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    It was my pleasure to work with you Andy.

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    5 years ago

    Dan the Man! The best jewelry instructor around. The value you get from this class pays for its self in the long run. I'm now in metals II.

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    Ask the Community - Jewelryclassdc

    Are classs focused solely on working with sterling silver or is working with 14kt gold also an option?

    Work is completed in Sterling Silver, I’ll be posting a intro to gold workshop next week, that would be a different curriculum and cost. Dan

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Jewelryclassdc

    Dan's attention to detail is incredible and the classes and workshops are organized and executed so well.

    Mentioned in 25 reviews

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    General Assembly - The main hall

    General Assembly

    (41 reviews)

    Penn Quarter

    Instructors (HW) are not knowledgable and do not know what the student needs to learn to get a job…read more The outcomes part 3 weeks with no classes at all. The group morale down for not enough support to get assignments done. The cost of this bootcamp for the instruction is not worth at all. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOTCAMP TO ANYONE. The staff has not enough experience to handle a large number of students in this cohort.

    February 6, 2020 I…read moreleft in the last two weeks due to no more new material, poor instruction due to three instructor changes, and choosing a job in the industry. Pluses First we'll start with the positives from the physical to the logical and qualitative. Location The GA campus in DC is clean, serviceable and well stocked with excellent Frontlines support. I would give it as near as 100% as possible. Classrooms always have working projectors, enough seats and whiteboards. Coffee, Peanut Butter and Jelly and tea bags are always plentiful. Outcomes The outcomes team gives the students most of the skills I learned in this industry at dozens of customers and clients over 20 plus years. As much as the students complained about the long sessions to me, those that follow its rigors will secure a position quickly. Curricula The curricula as defined in the GA SEI Syllabus compares well with Flatiron, CodingDojo, Trilogy and others. Instruction All lead instructors seemed knowledgeable of the material covered. All instructors were approachable and inviting of the material. Delivery The Google calendar was updated weekly with relatively accurate material to be presented and learned. Labs and software functioned as expected. Installfest saved the students trouble that they will quickly learn in the field. Compatibility and libraries are key from development to deployment. Minuses Now, some constructive guidance Location Those stairs are extremely steep and elevator access restricted. Heat in these historical buildings often has trouble on those frosty days. This one is no different, a space heater or two might help if compliant ones are available. Outcomes Only one thing I might recommend here are interview dry runs. We had one or two examples of interviews, and I imagine hiring panel next week will be equally excellent. But as mentioned below, practice, practice practice! All candidates I have ever met benefit from practicing the interview questions and the discomfort. I mentor all of my charges in this area. We even do professional development sessions on it. Curricula The curricula was not taught completely. For example, one of the reasons, that I, an experienced Engineer chose GA were the Algorithms and Data Structures courses as shown in the screenshots below. These courses were not available until after the course opened and even worse were never addressed. This pattern of missing core material as we moved forward forms part of the basis for my letter and departure. Instruction Our lead instructor changed three times. None of them covered all of the material separately or together. For new students this gap will carry over into their new careers. Although I mentioned this before and in tickets, it has not been addressed adequately. It cannot be rectified at this late stage. Delivery Furthermore there was often a lack of respect for the difficulties that the students faced. Comments such as the students are "lazy," "do not want to work," or "do not like to read have been heard." While I encourage constructive criticism it must be backed by instructional excellence. Instructional Excellence Although very personable as a whole the instructional style was far too loose to give new students the comfort they need in this difficult, challenging and dynamic field. Like sport and music, training for novices is about learning patterns and executing them repeatedly and in combination. As the student grows, these patterns or katas inspire the artists to create their own symphonies. Not enough structure was provided for training the students muscle or neurological pathways to allow for confident improvisation. This is my number one guidance. When teaching new material it is vital that it is taught, demonstrated, practiced and reviewed. Although much of the material had this character, it has not been consistent enough to train the students. On my final day I was directly criticized for the instructional failures of this cohort. I was told that I was pushing and telling the students what to do when in reality all that I did was: Describe the concept. Demonstrate the concept. Allow the students to choose issues to tackle. Reviewed them as a whole. The instructor who arrived later to try to guide us was disrespectful to me and to the classroom in his behavior. Summary I chose GA over the alternatives for several reasons. First, the curriculum met most of the baselines of each of the other bootcamps in the area, although it was slightly pricier, the vibe and location seemed worth it. I was 100% accurate on the location and vibe, you are a warm and welcoming team that open your hearts to all students. Please structure the courses more. I mentioned this in my ongoing ticket

    Jewelryclassdc - specialtyschools - Updated May 2026

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