Echart Schillings

I was born in 1960 and started my career in the jewellery trade in 1980. It was in 1984 that I was asked for the first time to run courses in Gold & Silversmithing.

Since then I have been doing jewellery tuition both in Australia as well as in Europe. Having relocated to the Sunshine Coast in 1994, I started running courses for groups from my Noosa Heads Studio in 1997.

I am a member of the Suncoast Gem Club and currently run various courses at the Club on a continuous basis. I do travel and run Gold & Silversmithing courses at other locations, like the Bribie Island Gem Club, the Gladstone Gem Club, Roma Silversmithing Group, Buderim Craft Cottages.

The rest of my time is spend doing private jewellery manufacturing work, trade work for a number of retail shops and some design work for a European company.

I have worked extensively with all the usual jewellery metals: Gold, silver, platinum as well as palladium, titanium, steel, laminated metals. I do extensive work with platinum, exploring the unique qualities of this metal.

Recently started some larger scale work in Public Art, got short listed for a Community Arts Project at Coolum Beach, Sunshine Coast in 2010

Employment History

• 1980 – 1983 trained with R. Ivey – Adelaide as Jeweller, Designer and Goldsmith
• 1984 – Started my own Jewellery Business in Germany.
• International Trade Fairs in Basel, Munich, New York, Atlanta
• Moved the Business to Noosa Heads, retail and wholesale.
• Running Gold& Silversmithing courses from my studio.
• Closed my commercial Businesses in Australia and Germany.
• Retail management, “ Anthony’s Jewellers“ in Noosa Heads
• Freelance Work for a overseas company and work for a Adelaide / Ayers Rock based Jewellery company.
• On-site work projects at Mulgara Gallery, Ayers Rock Resort.

Currently:
• Private Commissions. Work for retail shops, design work for companies.
• Gold and Silversmithing courses in Buderim, Bribie Island, Gladstone and Roma.

Website: www.jewel-school.com
Email: jewellery.school@gmail.com

I am a passionate Jeweller, Goldsmith and Gemsetter. The first time I was asked to run a jewellery course was in 1984. At that time I was working in Europe, building up my first Jewellery Business. I did enjoy the task of showing other people how they can make gold or silver jewellery. Over the next 20 years I was very busy with my own jewellery business which grew to a team of nine jewellers and included training apprentices in the trade. I must have made hundreds and hundreds of rings, pendants, bracelets etc over the years. I even managed to create my own brand (Sparks Jewellery, which is still running in Europe).

In 1994 I moved back to Australia and established a new workshop / studio on the Sunshine Coast. Today I work from my own studio at Coolum Beach. Some work for private clients and some manufacturing and designing work for jewellery shops Australia wide and occasional work for overseas jewellery houses.

Echart will be holding two workshops during the festival.

Forging and Hammering (Code ES4) Intermediate
Silversmithing (Code ES5) Intermediate

DESCRIPTION

ES4. Student will learn forging and hammering techniques and learn to use a circle cutter and doming block to create handmade Stirling Silver Hollow Beads

ES5. The first day create a simple Silver Pendant, decorated with heat coloured Titanium element that is riveted in place. No soldering work required! Use the work hardening process to create a lightweight yet strong piece, learn to make your own Rivets, learn to make your own Bail and rivet in place. The second day the construction of more complex Silver Earrings with Saw Pierced Designs and Titanium decorated with Saw Pieced Designs and assembled with rivets. Learn to make exact matching Pairs and learn to create hardened Earring Hooks. I am looking forward to meeting new people, who share the love of jewellery making.