Make Your Own Ring at Jerry’s Silversmith Workshop in Bangkok

When one mentions Bangkok, people think of a cosmopolitan city represented by an economic, tourist, and cultural hub that dominates Southeast Asia. It’s a place where one can meet people from all walks of life, of so many different nationalities, backgrounds and professions. And maybe because of this, to a certain extent, there’s nothing that the locals and foreign residents can be surprised by.

Being extraordinary has become the norm in Bangkok. There are so many talents out there but they end up only getting a few seconds of our time before we move on to the newest, trendiest thing. That’s until you meet Jerry. Jerry Hochberg.

A jack-of-all-trades, Jerry is the kind of person who can make you listen to his stories for hours and hours. But apart from his stories, it is the skills Jerry can teach you that are more than extraordinary. You see, give him two hours of your time and, with his guidance and expertise, you can make your own ring. That’s right! Jerry is the only silversmith that I know of in Bangkok who can impart his talent and help people create their own pieces of jewelry from scratch.

Originally from New York, Mr. Hochberg, as he is known to his students, has lived the life of an artist to the fullest. Always following his passion for woodwork, design, and jewelry making, Jerry travelled around New York and New Jersey with a puppet show which he ran with three other friends. From making the puppets to performing unscripted shows in malls, Jerry did them all.

He came to Asia in 1984 as a tourist and the bug settled in pretty fast. He moved to Bangkok in 1988 where he became an art teacher and introduced industrial design to the international school system. Although he has retired, Jerry is too active and full of life to just sit at home in his silversmith workshop and work on his own projects.

“My mission in life is to impart my knowledge with the young generation and encourage them to follow their dreams,” confessed Jerry Hochberg when I asked him about his class at KPIS International School where he runs the only silversmith workshop for high school students in all of Thailand.

When he returns home after his classes, Jerry grabs something to eat at Blue Sky Café, his wife’s boutique restaurant and coffee shop, and then heads over to his own silversmith workshop. In a two-story building, which he designed especially to serve as a workshop, Jerry is always busy improving the workflow of his private students.

When he told me that anyone, regardless of talent or experience, can make their own ring in just two hours, I didn’t believe him. But seeing is believing. As a birthday gift, I arranged for my friend a 2-hour workshop with Jerry. The purpose was simple: make your own birthday ring.

To my surprise, in front of my own eyes, from a simple ingot pellet of silver, my friend slowly but surely went over all the steps of creating her own ring. And although Jerry was the driving force behind the ring, the final product was entirely my friend’s work.

Jerry’s Silversmith Workshop is filled with tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and it’s got every tool and kind of materials needed to create not only a basic ring but also complex pieces of jewelry. If after your first session with Jerry you decide you want to create more intricate pieces, then there are no limits to what you can learn and do in Jerry’s workshop.

Silversmithing with Jerry involves the hand fabrication of jewelry using several techniques, including piercing, drilling, filling, forming, as well as pencil and computer design. You can also learn how to do wax casting and create three-dimensional ornaments as well as stone setting into rings or pendants.

Jerry’s Silversmith Workshop can hold up to three students, each having their own fully equipped workstations. Each session lasts for two hours and all workshops are project oriented with the clear goal of finishing your own jewelry piece. The cost of a 2-hour session is 2.000 baht, excluding the cost of the silver which you can bring along or purchase at the workshop.

We go though life taking things for granted. We meet new people, make new friends, and build new connections always knowing that Bangkok will offer even more opportunities. But sometimes we need to stop and take hold of what we have. We need to learn to appreciate the world around us in its entirety and challenge ourselves to look beyond the glitter and glamour of a fast paced life in Bangkok. I truly believe that you can find that place and the passion that comes with it in Jerry’s creative world.

Jerry’s Silversmith Workshop is located behind Blue Sky Café within the MooBaan Sarawan Ville compound on Chengwattana Road, right behind CentralPlaza Chaengwattana in Pakkret, Nonthaburi. To make an appointment, call Jerry at 082 568 4664 or contact him by email at jerry.hochberg[at]gmail[dot]com. Follow his Facebook Page for a look behind the scenes!