Jewellery Workshop in Hoi An

While there are many jewellery shops in Hoi An it feels more special to me to be directly involved in the process of creating a unique piece of jewellery for yourself. At Lotus Leaf Fine Art & Jewellery you can take part in a jewellery workshop in Hoi An and learn from a master who has worked on this craft from a young age, with a focus on local materials, traditional methods and inclusion of people with disabilities.

Lotus Leaf Fine Art & Jewellery

This small jewellery store outside of the old town in Hoi An is run by Hoa Luu Van and his wife Trâm since 1998. They sell creations from different metals and include many different materials, ranging from gemstones over stones to seashells.

They focus not only on the local sourcing of their raw materials but also on the impact their business has on the lives of people. They teach and employ people with disabilities in order for them to live normal lives.

Handicrafts are uniquely qualified as an employment field for people with different disabilities, as it is a very hands on job. Hoa, who had Polio at a young age is a great example for this and a great role model for young people.

Even if you are not interested in a workshop (although then I am confused why you are reading this) you can find some great jewellery here.

Jewellery Workshop

I came to the Jewellery Workshop in Hoi An with a clear idea: To make a ring that matches with the necklace pendant I had made at the silver smith workshop in Hanoi two months prior.

Before deciding on a ring design I looked through the jewellery they had on display, then went through several of their rings with Trâm to choose the best width for my design choice. I airdropped her a picture of the geometric shape I wanted to do and she printed several of them in different sizes.

Then I went to work on a piece of silver with Hoa. First I torched it until it started glowing and we hammered it until it was straight. Then I used a small saw to cut out a strip of silver that would eventually turn into a ring. Hoa measured my ring finger and marked on the silver how long it would have to be to wrap around it. Afterwards the smaller strip of silver was pressed into a bed of tree resin to fixate it and I carved “Hoi An 2024” into it as an inscription.

heating-the-silver-jewellery-workshop-hoi-an

Carving / hammering the sign into the silver was the most important, but also the most nerve wrecking step, as it is very specific, very small and I had also never done it before. I was very thankful for the help from Hoa, who is a master at his craft.

Once the carving was done we bent the ring into ring-shape and welded the ends together. Afterwards I filed the sides of the ring down with a metal file, then Hoa finished the sides with a small angle grinder. Once the sides were smooth the ring got a bath in a boiling chemical solution to get rid of the matting coat on the outside.

After the bath I used a glass file to make the outside of the ring even more shiny. As the last step the ring was thrown into a tumbling machine to turn every millimetre of it super shiny.

While the ring was tumbling I looked around the shop at the other jewellery and homeware they sell.

My thoughts on the jewellery workshop in Hoi An

While there are many jewellery shops in Hoi An it feels more special to be directly involved in the process of creating a unique piece of jewellery for yourself. It would also be a great couples or friends activity where you make something for each other.

Hoa and Trâm are lovely people and you feel well taken care of during the workshop. From giving you advice about how to realize your design on a piece of jewellery to setting up a fan and providing iced coffee or lemonade for hydration during the workshop.

The price depends on the piece of jewellery you want to create. To make my ring it cost me about 37€ which is a very good price considering you don’t only pay for the time of a master artisan, but also the material you are using, in this case real silver.

You can inquire about the workshop via Google Messages here and book directly with them, then pay cash the day of.