Jewellery Making Supplies Blog

After searching the globe for the most attractive ranges of beads, we are now extremely pleased to reveal the launch of our BRAND NEW expanded range!

One of the most exciting things about making your own jewellery is choosing the perfect beads for your design so we have a fantastic range of over 2,500 bead designs to choose from.

Our range includes Glass, Seed, Semi-Precious, Wood, Acrylic and many more which will inspire you to create a myriad of different designs!

We are all aware of the cost of precious metals and therefore incorporating beads into your designs or creating completely beaded jewellery is a highly affordable and exciting alternative. With a beautiful array of colours and finishes to choose from, you can find your creativity through colour and inspiration.

Our New Beading Range also boasts big brands such as Miyuki, Preciosa and Swarovski. Also hot on trend this year are shamballa bracelets and now we stock both the shamballa cord and shamballa crystal beads so you can creat your very own fashion piece!

There has never been a more exciting time to work with beads as this art  form is constantly evolving, mixing traditional techniques with new, exciting methods and uses too. With so many different and unique ways to use our vast array of beads, we have a comprehensive beading book range to help all contemporary bead workers.

Not only do we stock over 2,500 different beads we also stock a great range of the beading tools and stringing products to match- as well as the perfect storage to keep your beads!

All are products can be found in our brand new Bead book for everything you’ll ever bead! You can claim your FREE COPY today by clicking here!

PLUS why not join our Bead Mail Club to find out what we’re up to including hot news, exclusive offers and freepost events?

Our weekly communications will keep you up to date with what’s happening here at Cookson Beads. You will be the first to hear about our new products, offers and inspirational projects!

Click here to sign up!

Delve into the world of Art Clay at both our brand new taster classes and day master classes in a fun, friendly and relaxing environment.

We are giving our customers a great opportunity to learn how to make their own unique jewellery designs in comfortable and welcoming surroundings, ensuring total enjoyment, at our dedicated Green Side Studio in Kings Norton, Birmingham.

The Classes are kept small, with the maximum number per class being 8, to guarantee each student has the right support and one-on-one attention they will need. The price includes use of tools, findings, tuition and the silver.

Customers can choose from either a taster workshop lasting 2.5 hours or a day masterclass to unleash their creative flair. Whichever course is opted for, all our workshops give plenty of time to experiment with Art Clay and develop technique. Every student will take away their piece, to both serve as a great memory of the day, and also to enjoy wearing- again and again!

Below are the first set of Art Clay Classes available  at our studio in Kings Norton, Birmingham. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone there! We understand that for some of our customers, this is quite a distance therefore we will also be looking into setting up other classes around the country so get in touch with details of your area for suggestion!

Course Title: Taster Workshop Course Description: At the end of the workshop, students will have completed a pure silver pendant, ready to wear or give as a gift. Level: Beginner Price: £40 (inc VAT) – including an exclusive Cookson goody bag worth over £30! Plus Light Refreshments Date & Time: 5th April, 9:30am-12:00pm

Course Title: Taster Workshop Course Description: At the end of the workshop, students will have completed a pure silver pendant, ready to wear or give as a gift. Level: Beginner Price: £40 (inc VAT) – including an exclusive Cookson goody bag worth over £30! Plus Light Refreshments Date & Time: 1st May, 9:30am-12:00pm

Course Title: Day Course – Earring and Pendant Set Masterclass Course Description: With guidance, students will create some original designs which they will use to make and complete an earring and pendant set. Level: ALL Price: £55 (inc VAT) – including an exclusive Cookson goody bag worth over £30! Plus Light Refreshments Date & Time: 7th June, 9:30am-2:30pm

Course Title: Day Course- Ring Masterclass Course Description: Students will be able to use some original designs which they can use to make a ring of their own. Level: ALL Price: £55 (inc VAT) – including an exclusive Cookson goody bag worth over £30! Plus Light Refreshments Date & Time: 11th September, 9:30am-2:30pm

Course Title: Day Course- Linking Bracelet Masterclass Course Description: Students will be able to design their very own linking bracelet using a variety of Art Clay techniques. Level: ALL Price: £75 (inc VAT) – including an exclusive Cookson goody bag worth over £30! Plus Light Refreshments Date & Time: 30th October, 9:30am-2:30pm

Hurry Hurry! BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment- ONLY 8 PLACES PER COURSE!

The  price includes use of tools, findings, tuition and the silver.

How to Book:

Booking could not be any easier!

Simply call our Contact Centre on 0845 100 1122 and provide the following details:

• Your name
• Your contact telephone number
• The Course Title
• The date you wish to attend

We welcome Visa, MasterCard, Delta, Maestro and Solo cards, please have your card with you when you make the call.

DON’T DELAY AND BOOK TODAY!

To find out more details about where the courses are held and to read more about the Art Clay Tutor CLICK HERE!

We fully recognise that the industry faces considerable challenges in terms of the traceability of gold, and of the health and safety issues in a small minority of the world’s gold mines.

It is clear that, whilst the industry is working to address these challenges, there is no quick fix.  Due to the very nature of the industry’s supply chain and the refining process within it, achieving traceability of the world’s existing gold stock is extremely difficult, as the content of last night’s programme made very clear.

Since 2008 we have been meeting with various organisations, groups and Individuals to understand how Cookson as Market Leader can deliver a commercial strategy  that provides traceability on gold supply as well as an environmentally and ethical alternative.

We are the UK’s leading recycler of gold by volume and have recently invested significantly in a new refining line which will be used to recycle gold under a fully audited and dedicated process.  Under the trademark “Ecogold”, we are developing a product that uses only this recycled material.  This is due to be launched to the market in September and will be supported with it’s own website – we’ll let you know when we’re about to go live.

We are also supportive of Fairtrade Fairmined gold and Fairtrade Fairmined Ecological gold and are working with Fair Trade to become an authorised supplier, with the aim of using our distribution network to make it as readily available to as many people as quickly and easily as possible and at no extra Cookson premium.

All of this work is designed to ensure that our customers will, in future, have greater visibility – and therefore choice – in terms of the provenance of the gold jewellery products that they buy.