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By Amanda Goh January 21, 2021 • 5 min read

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I never thought of making my own jewelry until I chanced upon my friend’s Instagram story of her experience making rings at Fat Anvil. After a couple weeks of researching more about this studio, I decided to give this experience a go, and of course I had to drag someone along as well. Here's what I thought of this unique experience!

Free Consultation 

© Amanda

Before we got an appointment for the workshop, we were given a complimentary consultation months prior. The consultation went pretty quickly as we discussed designs, gemstone options and ring sizes. We were also able to try on various different types of rings (who knew there were so many to choose from) and finally settled on one. 

The Studio

© Rachel

Located in Balestier, their studio is small and hidden in plain sight (their signboard was stolen twice!) with this name scrawled on a piece of paper and taped on their door. Honestly, I had always pictured a metalsmith studio to be dark and scary — with all these intense equipment that I really should not be allowed near. On the contrary, Fat Anvil’s studio was bright and quaint, filled with splashes of bright yellow and framed pictures — which definitely made me feel more comfortable using their scary equipment. 

The Process

Before starting, we were guided by Rachel, the co-founder of Fat Anvil, every step of the way. It was very calming to see how Rachel handled the metal with such ease and comfort. We were taught how to heat the wire to make it malleable, bend the wire to our desired shapes, and even add indents to the ring. 

© Rachel

The first thing we had to do was to heat the wire to make it malleable to bend. This process is to soften the wire, for easier shaping before soldering. After we had heated the wire up, we got to texture it. This part was pretty fun as we got to hammer the wires to get a “rugged” texture.

© Rachel

Next, it was time to shape the wire. It looked way easier than it was. I was handling gold, which you would think is pretty malleable. But how wrong I was. I was bending the wire to the point of shaking! Rachel and her husband, Azri, were extremely helpful along the way, even bringing out their “secret weapons” to help us simplify the process. 

After we had fit our rings to the desired sizes, we had to cut and solder them together before cleaning them up and putting on the final touches. While the processes were all fairly straight forward, putting words and what you see into action was definitely a challenge, especially if you have never done it before. Regardless, we were supervised throughout the process and ensured that we were doing it correctly. 

© Rachel

Honestly, talking about the process is much easier than actually doing it. This entire activity lasted around 3 hours with a whole lot of finger muscles needed to pinch, bend and cut. But overall, the experience was very enjoyable, especially with our hospitable instructors helping us along the way (they are really funny and cheerful too)! Throughout this whole experience, I could definitely see their passion for silversmithing. 

This activity is definitely worth a try, as it is much more than just bending and making a ring — and definitely satisfying to see the end product. This workshop is one to look out for if you or your loved ones like to get your hands dirty. 


Address: 573A Balestier Rd, Singapore 329888

Opening Hours: by appointment only 

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Amanda Goh


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