A Summer at the Château: 2026 at Cognac Jewellery School
Foraging for botanicals in the Château Grounds
Pallion soldering demonstration by Jessica
60 students - 13 countries - 10 weeks of teaching - 73 broken saw blades - 400+ pieces of jewellery made
Over the course of the summer, jewellers and aspiring jewellers travelled to France from 13 countries to spend a week at the Cognac Jewellery School, and for many, it was their very first time at the jeweller’s bench.
The Courses
This year we had two options: The Summer Foundation Course and the Intermediate Collections Week
The Summer Foundation Course
For those joining our Summer Foundation Course, the week began at the very beginning. Many had never sat at a jeweller’s bench before, let alone threaded a saw blade or soldered a join.
Over five days at the bench, they learned the foundations of traditional silversmithing and silver clay, working their way through a series of set projects designed to introduce new tools and techniques along the way.
The transformation from tentative and unsure to confident with both the techniques and the terminology is my favourite part of the week. By Friday, tools that once felt daunting are being used with confidence, new techniques have become familiar, and the jeweller’s bench feels like a very different place.
The Finished Pieces
Everyone ended the week with a collection of at least seven finished pieces of jewellery to take home with them, as well as the skills to keep creating.
“Suddenly, the complicated stuff just made sense. It honestly felt like I had a bunch of “light bulb” moments as I started to understand soldering, fine-tuning techniques, and what it really takes to bring a piece to life.
What impressed me most was how Jessica helped all of us feel confident.
She has this amazing way of teaching that just makes you believe, “Yes, I can do this.”
In just five days, I felt my skills and confidence grow by leaps and bounds”.
- Calleen B. Summer Foundation Course May 2026
Collections Week
For our returning and more experienced jewellers, Collections Week invited students to explore more advanced techniques, develop existing skills, and bring a collection of pieces together.
Over the course of a week we made four projects exploring techniques such as Keum Boo, silver box making, and locket making, as well as working with faceted gemstones. Each project introduced a different set of challenges, from creating precise hinges and mechanisms to combining silver with gold and fabricating different kinds of settings.
The Finished Pieces
At the end of the week everyone had created a collection of silver work, with each student bringing their own ideas, style, and character to their projects.
The People
Students
Of course, a week at the Cognac Jewellery School is about more than what happens at the bench.
Our students travelled from 13 different countries, often arriving solo, but by the end of their time here they had spent five days working side-by-side, sharing tools, helping each other out, admiring each other’s pieces and getting to know one another over leisurely lunches and balmy al fresco dinners.
I had the pleasure of watching friendships develop, bonds being made, and the camaraderie that appears when something goes wrong. There was always someone nearby to lend a hand, offer a second opinion or simply laugh about it with you (damn those half jump rings of doom!).
So while everyone leaves with their own collection of work, they also leave with new skills, shared memories, and new friends they’ll stay in touch with long after the week is over.
Wendy Harrop
This year we had the absolute pleasure of collaborating with Wendy Harrop of Wendy Harrop Events for all of our all-inclusive weeks. She took care of everything outside of the workshop, from making sure that everyone arrived safely, to delivering perfectly timed glasses of champagne, and everything in between.
I am delighted to say that for all our 2027 courses Wendy will be your concierge and host as she has recently acquired a beautiful château in the neighbouring village of Archiac.
The Whippets
I can’t mention the people without giving the whippets a mention. Their afternoon visits to the studio were always greeted with enthusiasm, and they quickly became firm favourites with everyone, dispensing a little calm in the middle of a busy afternoon.
The Places
The Summer wasn’t all spent at the bench…
The Château Grounds
No Cognac Jewellery School experience is complete without walks through the gardens foraging for interesting leaves, seed pods and other little pieces of nature to bring back to the studio. Some of our favourite finds became jewellery projects, while others were left exactly as we found them.
Sunday is Brocante Day
This year we took the opportunity to explore the region, visiting brocantes and hidden spots, taking long Sunday lunches in the sunshine (or a biblical downpour at the Quinconces in May!)
Evenings
This year, most of our students stayed at the beautiful Grand Logis in St Même-les-Carrières. With Wendy Harrop as their concierge and Lena Prost as their chef, they were free to while away their evenings by the pool, enjoying leisurely dinners and beautiful views across the Charentais vineyards.
Until Next Summer
And then, almost as quickly as it began, summer was over.
The benches were cleared, the last pieces were polished, and our students packed their jewellery, tools and a few blocks of French butter into their suitcases before heading home.
Ten weeks, 60 students, 13 countries and 73 broken saw blades later, it was quite a summer.
And now we’re already looking ahead to the next one.
Our 2027 courses are open for bookings, and we hope to see you here!